Heartbreak Before Dawn
by christibabe
Summary: How will Stephanie deal with the ending of her dream. Can she move on with someone new? Or will the pain of the past stand in her way? This is not a Cupcake, this is not a Babe, and Stephanie will not be paired with a Merry Man. Morelli, Ranger and the Merry Men will all be a part of the story. But there will be a new leading man in Stephanie's life.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**WARNING: Best keep a box of tissues handy.**_

Chapter 1: The Ending of a Dream

Stephanie's POV:

I pulled my latest POS car into the parking lot behind my apartment building. It figures that the only spot open was back by the dumpster. I pulled the key from the ignition and climbed out of the car, making my way inside the building and taking the stairs to my apartment. That's right, the stairs. When I reached my apartment I went in and dropped my bag on the kitchen counter and opened the fridge, grabbing the six pack of beer I continued on through my apartment to the bedroom. I opened the window and climbed out onto the fire escape. I got situated and opened the first of the beers. I tilted my head back and drank thirstily from the can. In a matter of seconds it was gone and I had another one open.

I closed my eyes briefly and thought to myself, 'well….here I am again.'

My name is Stephanie Plum, Aka Cupcake, Aka The Bombshell Bounty Hunter, Aka Babe. I've lived in Trenton, New Jersey and am currently working as a Bond Enforcement Agent for my cousin Vinnie Plum. Up until 6 months ago I was in an on again-off again relationship with a Trenton Police Detective named Joe Morelli. Morelli and I had a history that dated back to the time I was 6 and he was 8, when he led me into his parent's garage and taught me a new game called choo choo. The second run in I had with Morelli was when I was 16 and he was 18. He came into the Tasty Pastry when I was closing up and talked me out of my panties, taking my virginity on the floor behind the counter. Our next meeting took place when he returned to town from his stint in the Navy and I'd jumped the curb and run into him with my dad's Buick. Had I known then how many places he'd spray painted the news of the Tasty Pastry incident, I would have backed up and run over him a second and third time as well. Maybe even a fourth time.

I went through life without the aggravation of seeing Morelli again until 6 months after I'd lost my job as a lingerie buyer for E. E. Martin in Newark. I was desperate and blackmailed my cousin Vinnie into hiring me as a BEA, or Bond Enforcement Agent. Morelli had gone failure to appear and I landed the case. In the end, I hauled Morelli back to jail in the back of a meat truck with three other dead bodies and managed to get the evidence that Morelli was in fact innocent. That was the beginning of 3 years of our on again-off again relationship. That ended 6 months ago when I was chasing down a skip and as Lula and I were dragging the creep to my latest POS car, I saw Joe exit a room at the motel where we were. He turned to the nearly naked form of Terry Gilman and told her he'd call her soon and then gave her a heated kiss.

Lula and I had stopped in our tracks. I stood waiting for Morelli to turn and when he did I gave him a right cross to the nose followed by a knee to the groin. When Morelli looked up to see who had attacked him, the look on his face was full of guilt. I didn't say a word as I turned and grabbed the skip. For once the little creep didn't say a word as I stuffed his 6'5" frame into my little car and got in. I guess he was afraid I'd give him the same treatment Morelli had gotten. We dropped the skip at the station and I dropped Lula off at the bonds office. I asked her to let Connie know I was taking off for a couple days and Lula had nodded and asked if I needed anything. I told her no, that I was good and headed for my apartment where I knew I had a 6 pack of beer I intended going through.

On that occasion I had parked and once entering my apartment, had grabbed the 6 pack and found myself in the same spot I was now sitting in once more. I'd gone through the whole 6 pack sitting here, eventually the tears fell down my cheeks and I let go of the past Morelli and I had shared. I realized we never should have been more than friends. He wanted something from me I couldn't give him. He wanted me to change and be the stay at home wife and mother. I wanted to get married someday, but I didn't want to have to give up what was important to me to do it. I liked being independent. I didn't plan on working for Vinnie forever, but for now I was good with what I did…for the most part. I didn't care too much for rolling in garbage and I hated having to shoot my gun. The lives I took still haunted me at times. But I did love figuring out the mysteries. When I could connect all the pieces and put the puzzle together I felt like I was finally good at something. That's what I didn't want to give up.

So why was I sitting here going through another 6 pack, tears streaming down my face? Well, because today was the end of a dream. See, Morelli wasn't the only man in my life over the past three and a half years. When I first started working at the bonds office and needed some helpful pointers on bringing Morelli in, Connie called another Bounty Hunter and asked him to help me out. From the first time I met him, I felt something. Ricardo Carlos Manoso, Aka Ranger, Aka Batman was a bad ass Ex Ranger and Bounty Hunter. He agreed to work with me to teach me the ropes of the bond enforcement business. Over the years he'd given me support in many forms. He'd given me his help when I needed it, cars, equipment, endless support, a job when I needed it, a place to stay when I needed protection, and on occasions we'd even been lovers. I realized when he walked into my apartment to save his daughter and me, knowing he could be killed, that I was in love with him.

I loved two men, but it was Ranger that I was in love with. Why didn't I break things off with Morelli at that point? Because Ranger didn't want a relationship. He said his life didn't lend itself to relationships and his love came with a condom and not a ring. At that point Ranger and I had spent an incredible night making love to each other. It was my part of paying up in a deal we had made, but I knew it was what I wanted just as much as Ranger did. When we talked after that night, Ranger had told me to repair my relationship with Morelli. He also told me if the time out went too long he'd be back in my bed. Like a coward, I went back to what was familiar instead of fighting for what I wanted. So the dance continued for nearly three years before I caught Morelli cheating. You might ask why that was different from what I was doing with Ranger. Well, Ranger and I never slept together while Morelli and I were together. There was the time during the Vordo curse Bella Morelli put on me when my hormones were out of whack and I couldn't get enough of Ranger. But, Morelli had asked for a break because he couldn't keep up with me so I considered that a time out.

When I surfaced from the night 6 months ago, I decided to do my best to make my dream come true and have a relationship with Ranger. I spent the weekend planning my strategy. On Monday I went to Rangeman where I run searches three days a week, and when Ranger flirted, I flirted back. When Ranger pulled me into the alley I gave back as good as I got. Things got incredibly hot. So when he failed to take me up on any of my offers, I finally decided to bite the bullet and ask him what was going on. So today when I went into work, I asked him if he had a few minutes around 5 to discuss something. He'd agreed and asked where I wanted the conversation to take place. I asked if we could go to the penthouse and he agreed.

When we entered the apartment, Ranger asked if I wanted something to drink. I shook my head and we sat down at the kitchen table facing each other. I folded my hands on the table and fidgeted for a moment till he covered my hands with his and asked, "What do you need Babe?"

I lifted my eyes to meet his and took a deep breath. "I need to know what's going on. You told me once if the time out between Joe and I went on too long, you'd be back in my bed. Six months ago, Joe and I called it quits for good. Yet here we are still dancing around each other and still nothing. It gets pretty hot, but then no follow through. What's going on?"

Ranger pulled my hands to his lips and kissed them before setting them back onto the table. "I do love you Stephanie. You are someone I trust more than anyone else. But I can't do a relationship. I feel like I've been honest with you from the beginning. I haven't taken us any farther because I didn't want you to get hurt Babe. I knew you were in this deeper than I am. I accepted what you were offering up to a point, but I couldn't accept all of you knowing I couldn't offer the same thing in return."

"You don't think what we share already is a relationship?"

"We share a friendship. Nothing more Babe. I can't offer you more than that."

"Why?"

Ranger looked away for several minutes before turning back to me. "I once told you I was a sick individual. You were worried that meant I was physically ill. I never explained it because I didn't want to change how you look at me. I like what I do Babe. I need it to feel alive. I like the risks I take in the life and death struggles and I can't live a mundane existence. I know you would never ask me to change who I am. But I won't put you through endless missions of not knowing if I'll ever return. We're friends. That's all we can ever be. But I do love you."

I looked away for several minutes before turning my gaze back to him. "Then I need you to back off on the kissing. I can't handle that anymore. I'm going to have a hard enough time dealing with the end of my dreams."

Ranger nodded. "I got a call earlier today. I'll be going in the wind for the next few months so that will give you some breathing room. I'll let Tank know what's going on so he can explain it to the guys when they see you with someone new. I want you to have a happy life Babe."

My eyes burned as I struggled with the tears that were threatening to fall. I nodded before saying, "Be safe, and don't get shot."

He smiled a half smile before saying, "Don't go crazy Babe."

We stood and I went into his arms and one last time I kissed him with all my love. Then I turned and quickly left the building before I broke down. I don't recall the drive across town. Only making my way up to my apartment and grabbing the 6 pack before coming out onto my fire escape. My dreams were gone. My heart was breaking.


	2. From Being Numb To A Trip

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

Chapter 2: Being Numb

Stephanie's POV:

I spent the next day in bed recovering from my hangover. The one good thing that came out of it all was that I was numb. I couldn't feel anything. When I woke up the following day, the numbness still remained. I was happy to have the reprieve. I went by the bonds office and picked up the files Connie had for me. Apparently there were a lot of people not wanting to go back to jail and skipping out on their court dates. Lula and I managed to collar three of the skips before the day was out. I dropped her back by the bonds office and headed by my apartment on the way to my parent's house. When I got there it was 2 minutes before 6. My mom and grandma were at the door. I made my way to the door and followed them inside. I could smell the pineapple upside down cake as I first entered. We headed to the kitchen and I helped get everything on the table. At 6 we were sitting down ready to eat.

I did my best to keep up with the conversation. When dessert was over I made my excuses and headed home. Mom made sure I had plenty of leftovers. I figured I had enough for a couple of meals. Except of course for dessert, I planned on finishing that off once I got home. When I walked into my apartment, I dropped a couple scrapes in Rex's cage and set the food in the fridge. I took the leftover cake and sat down at the table to dig in. While I was sitting there eating cake I noticed the mail I must have sat on the table at some point. I frowned and pulled the envelopes over so I could go through them

I set the usual bills off to the side and opened the first of three envelopes that were left. After opening the first, I took out the papers that were inside and my eyes widened. There were two tickets to Seattle, Washington. I frowned wondering why anyone would send me tickets to Seattle, Washington. I set them down and lifted the second envelope. Inside was a VISA card. I put it on top the tickets and opened the third envelope. Inside there was a note that read:

_Pumpkin,_

_I know you are going through a tough time right now. You have finally seen that Joe isn't the right person for you. I am afraid that soon you will know Ranger won't be able to give you what you need either. I think its time for you to do something just for you. I've paid for 2 tickets to take you and anyone you choose to a place that means a lot to me. I like to think of you walking through the city I often visited when I had leave from the army. I am offering you this trip out of my love for you. I am hoping it will give you the peace you deserve. I have reserved a suite for you and it has been paid for as well. The money on the credit card is for you to spend while you are out there. Enjoy. The tickets are open ended so stay as long as you want to. Be happy Pumpkin and know that I love you very much._

_Daddy_

I felt the tear slide down my cheek and wiped it away. I pulled out my phone and called my dad. "Hello?"

"Daddy?"

"Pumpkin…I take it you got your mail."

"Yeah….thanks daddy."

"You're welcome Pumpkin. I love you."

"Love you too daddy. Are you sure this is okay? I mean it must have cost you a lot of money."

"I want to do this for you Pumpkin. Please."

"Thanks. Any suggestions on places to visit?"

He laughed, "There is a letter waiting for you at the hotel. It will tell you all you need to know."

"Thanks daddy."

"You're welcome Pumpkin."

I disconnected the call and sat there for several moments thinking about all the people I knew and who I might want to take with me on this trip. I pulled over a yellow, legal pad and wrote down all the names I could think of. I started crossing off names as I thought of the reason they wouldn't work. When I was finished, there were still three names on the paper and of those three names, I knew just the person I wanted to go with me. I smiled and decided I would ask him the next day when I was at Rangeman. It would depend on if he could get vacation time. I knew I'd be okay with sharing a suite with him. As a matter of fact I would feel infinitely safer with him by my side. I stood and headed into my bedroom and slipped into my pajamas and then returned to the living room and turned on the TV. I watched the last half of the Ranger's game before shutting the TV off and heading to bed.

The next morning I woke when my alarm went off and I got up to get ready. Fortunately for me there was an exception made for me so I didn't have to report to work at Rangeman before 9 a.m. Some days even that was too early. I parked in my usual spot and made my way to the elevator. I waved to the guys on monitor duty as I rode to the 5th floor. When the elevator doors opened, I headed for my cubicle and got started on the searches in the in basket. Once I got the first one running, I decided to make my way to the electronics department.

I saw Hector as I entered his work space. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Hola Angel. What can I do for you?"

I smiled, "I received two tickets to fly to Seattle, Washington. I can stay for as long as I want and there is a suite already paid for. Would you consider going with me?"

He looked stunned that I'd asked him. "Why me?"

"I consider you my friend. I know you won't misunderstand my intentions because we both know you would be more interested in the guys I might date than me as potential partners. And, I would feel infinitely safer with you by my side than Lula or someone else. I need to get away for a while and I need someone I can trust to watch my back."

Hector put his hand on my cheek, "You honor me. Si, I go with you. When we go?"

"I thought I'd talk to Tank after I found out if you'd go with me."

"Si. I go too."

With that we headed up to five to talk to Tank. When we got to his office, I opened the door and walked in. Hector only paused momentarily before joining me. Tank looked up and when he saw me he smiled. "Hey little girl, what can I do for you?"

"I was wondering about taking some time off."

Tank's expression turned grim. "Are you having problems little girl?"

I shook my head and told him, "My dad gave me 2 tickets, a paid suite, and a credit card. The tickets and suite are open ended so I can stay as long as I want to. I'd like to use them and I asked Hector to go with me. He can use one of the tickets and share the suite, plus I'll cover all his meals."

Tank looked into my eyes and held them for several minutes and then he turned to Hector. He must have seen what he wanted because he smiled and said, "Have a great vacation you two. Can I know where you are going?"

I smiled, "Seattle, Washington. My dad said it was a favorite place of his to go on leave from the army."

Tank nodded and said, "When will you be leaving?"

I turned and looked at Hector, "Would day after tomorrow be okay? That way we have time to pack and take care of any last minute details." I had a sudden thought and said, "Oh! I almost forgot about Rex."

Tank chuckled and said, "Bring him here and we'll take care of him for you."

I smiled, "Thanks Tank."

With that Hector and I left Tank's office and went on our way. I continued with the searches, managing to get my in box cleaned out before leaving for the day. I had sent an email to Rodriquez to let him know I was going on vacation so wouldn't be available for any searches for a while. I didn't feel like fixing anything for supper so decided to go with left-overs. When I reached my apartment I heated up the left-overs my mom sent home with me the night before and after eating I sat on the sofa with my tablet to make a list of everything I needed to do before heading to the airport. I pulled out my phone and called my mother to let her know I would be out of town for a while. She just laughed and wished me a safe and happy trip. I pulled the phone away from my ear and thought, 'Who are you and what have you done with my mother?' But to her I only said thank you. That done I finished my list and headed off to bed.

The next morning I woke and after showering I dressed and headed to the bonds office. I took the girls doughnuts…one of these days I was tempted to tell Lula if she wanted doughnuts to stop and get her own before going into work, but I knew I could never actually tell her that and hurt her feelings. When I got to the bonds office, I barely got the door open before she was descending on me to grab the box out of my hands. Geez. I gave a mental shrug and managed to get out, "That Boston Cream is mine so you better not touch it."

Luckily she and Connie grabbed different ones. I lifted the Boston Cream and took a bite before telling Connie, "I just stopped by to let you guys know I'm going on vacation starting tomorrow."

Both women stopped in their tracks. Vinnie's door slammed open and he practically screamed, "What do you mean you're going on vacation? You can't just drop everything and go off whenever you like. I have skips that have to be picked up. Who's going to go get them while you're off getting your jollies?"

The main office door slammed and Vinnie jumped about a foot in the air and the three of us couldn't help but laugh at the sudden terror on his face. I turned to see my dad standing there and my eyes widen in stunned surprise. The look on his face promised someone was going to be miserable in about 5 seconds. Vinnie visibly paled and stuttered, "Uh….u.u..uncle F.F….F….Frank, w..w.w.w.w.. are y..y..y.y. doing here?"

"I thought some garbage might need taking out. I knew Stephanie would be telling you about taking a vacation and wanted to make sure you didn't give her any problems. She's worked for you for nearly four years without any real vacations and its high time she takes one."

Vinnie swallowed and said, "Uh sure Steph…take all the time you need. No worries. Your job will be here whenever you get back." He smiled in a sick kind of way.

I smiled and said, "Gee thanks Vinnie."

I turned and left with my dad right behind me. Once we were outside I turned and wrapped my arms around him and gave him a hug. "You take care of yourself Pumpkin."

"I will daddy. Hector from Rangeman is going with me."

My dad's eyes narrowed on me as if he were looking for something. He gave a nod and said, "I know you'll be safe then. Isn't he the gay one?"

I nodded. "He's a good friend."

He kissed my forehead and said, "I just want you to enjoy yourself."

With that he went over and got in his cab. I waved as he pulled out and then went to my car and headed home to pack. I was actually looking forward to this vacation. It didn't take long to go through my clothes and find the right clothes, shoes and accessories to take with. The problem was where to put them. I decided I needed some luggage so I made a trip to Quaker Bridge Mall and purchased a set of luggage. I dropped Rex off at Haywood on my way to the mall. I checked out the regular stores and found the most beautiful dress at Macy's marked at 75% off. I bit my lip and decided to go ahead and get the dress. I was sure Hector and I would be going to a nice restaurant and I wanted to look my best. Of course, having the dress, I needed to add shoes so I went in search of the perfect pair and found them on the sale rack. That done, I snuck into Victoria Secrets for the rest. I knew Hector wouldn't be interested but I didn't want him to feel slighted that I didn't dress my best. Yeah, yeah, but its my excuse and I'm sticking to it. Once I had what I needed I headed back home and in no time had everything packed.

Surprisingly enough I slept well. I was up and dressed and had everything set out ready to go when Hector arrived a little before 9. We headed for the airport and in no time we were on our way west. Somehow Hector picked up on my nervousness when we took off and he took my hand in his and squeezed gently. He held my hand the whole time we were taking off and when I relaxed he smiled and kissed my hand before releasing it. When we were landing, he made sure to take my hand in his once more and distracted me with conversation. When we finally touched down I was surprised. Once our luggage was collected we made our way out to the taxi stand and in no time we were headed for the Edgewater Hotel where we had a luxury suite. I was stunned at the beauty of the hotel. Our suite was even more beautiful if that were possible. There were two bedrooms and a sitting room, plus a dining area with a fridge and bar. It was perfect and I could tell Hector was impressed as well.

We spent some time unpacking and met back in the sitting room. I smiled at Hector and asked, "You ready to get some exercise? I don't know about you but I need to move around. Plus I can't wait to explore all the marvelous places."

"Si. We explore."

With that we made our way to the street outside our hotel and started looking around.


	3. Spending Time With A Friend

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

Chapter 3: Spending Time With A Friend

Stephanie's POV:

I vaguely felt a hand gently moving my hair away from my face. I swatted it away and heard a chuckle. Again the hand was moving my hair and I groaned. Then I smelled something near my nose and my mouth started to water. My eyes started to flutter and when I finally opened them, Hector was sitting cross-legged on my bed holding a donut close to my nose with a grin on his face. My eyes locked on the donut and he held it to my mouth. I opened and took a bite. I had no control over the moan that escaped. I sat all the way up, not worrying about the covers. I mean after all, Hector had no interest in me as anything other than a friend. He handed me the rest of the uneaten donut and I scarfed it down in seconds.

As I chewed the last bite of donut I asked, "Where did you find it?"

Hector grinned and reached over and lifted a box off the nightstand. I looked inside and moaned. All my favorites were nestled inside the box. I looked up at Hector. He said, "I go for walk. See a sign that says Daily Dozen Donuts. I go in and buy."

I picked up another donuts and asked, "Aren't you going to join me?"

He reached in the box and took out a long john with chocolate frosting and whipped cream filling. As I took another bite I asked, "You didn't happen to find any coffee too while you were out did you?"

Hector grinned and set his donut back in the box while he stood and walked out to the other room. He returned with two large cups of coffee and handed one to me. I took a drink and moaned at the rich flavor. "Hector you are an angel. This is the best breakfast."

"Si. I knew you like. What should we do today Angel?"

I took another drink and moaned before I shrugged. "I'm not sure. I thought maybe we could walk around a little and see what's out there. Maybe we should try and rent a car. What do you think?"

He nodded, "Sounds good."

After we finished breakfast, Hector took our garbage out to the sitting room and I got up and headed to the shower. I showered, shampooed my hair, shaved and dried off. I put on a pair of blue jeans and a royal blue button-up blouse. I undid the bottom buttons and tied the two sides of the shirt in a knot so the shirt came just to the top of my jeans. I added a bracelet to one wrist and my watch to the other. My hair was pulled back into a ponytail and there was a blue scarf tied around where the rubber band held the hair together. I finished up my makeup and headed out to join Hector.

Hector was wearing blue jeans that molded his form and a skin tight black t-shirt. I knew Hector was armed to the hilt and felt very safe going out with him. When we reached the lobby, I heard my name being called. I turned and made my way over to the front desk. The older gentleman standing there smiled at me and said, "Your father asked that I see you get this when you arrived."

I smiled and thanked him. I returned to Hector and we sat for a minute on one of the sofas while I opened the letter and took out the papers inside. There was a list of places that I might find interesting. I scanned the list and my eyes lit up when I saw a mention of the Locks, built in 1911. I turned to Hector and asked, "Would you be interested in going to Ballard to the Locks? You can actually see the salmon trying to swim upstream."

"Si Angel. Let's go rent a car."

We rented a car and bought a map. Hector insisted on driving which was okay with me. We parked and walked through a lovely garden until we came to a bridge. We had crossed to the far side where the fish ladder was located. I was amazed to see the fish jumping out of the water. We went inside to watch the salmon through the glass. I lost track of time watching as the salmon struggled to swim upstream. Some of them looked pretty beat up and others looked like they were as fresh as ever. The range in size was amazing as well. When I'd finally had enough of watching, we made our way back outside and watched as the boats made their way from the fresh water of the lakes Washington and Union to the salt water of Puget Sound and vise-versa. It was fascinating watching as the boats got into position and the doors closed while the water level either raised or lowered till the boats were at the level of the water they were going to.

It wasn't until my stomach growled that I realized how long we had been there. I looked down at my watch and realized we had been there for nearly 4 hours. It was nearly 2 p.m., no wonder I was hungry. I turned with a grin on my face and asked Hector, "Are you ready for lunch?"

"Si. We eat." He took my hand and pulled me with him.

We headed back to the car and headed back across the bridge we had crossed to get to Ballard where the Locks were located. Hector did some intricate driving and before I knew it we were parked in front of Chinook's at Salmon Bay. We went inside and were shown to our seats next to a wall of windows that overlooked the marina. We were brought menus and I had trouble deciding what to order because everything looked so good. While we were looking at the menu, we decided to have a Baja shrimp cocktail that has Salsa and Avacado. Hector ordered Halibut Fish & Chips. The Halibut was dipped in tempura batter made with Fish Tale Ale and seafood seasoning. I ordered the Alder Planked Salmon Roasted on an alder plank in the traditional Northwest style and it was served with smoked sweet pepper sauce. I also ordered Mahi Mahi Tacos Grilled and served in warm Santa Fe tortillas with shredded cabbage, tomatoes and salsa mayo. For dessert we both ordered the Wild Mountain Blackberry Cobbler. It was the restaurant's signature dessert with hand-picked tiny blackberries from the Cascades under a tender, flaky crust. By the time we had made our way through the dishes, we were both full. Once we had taken care of the bill we strolled around the marina looking at the fishing boats. All in all it was a very pleasant day.

When we got back to the car Hector asked, "You trust me?"

I grinned, "Definitely."

He smiled and headed off. We went over another bridge and after a short time, we stopped and parked. Hector got out so I followed suit. We walked along for a while until we were walking under a bridge. I stopped stunned. There before me was a VW Bug that looked like it was clutched in the grasp of a huge Troll that had been sculpted. Hector motioned me forward and understanding dawned. I quickly made my way over and struck a pose. Hector took a couple pictures and then handed me the camera and struck his own pose. It was great! I was having so much fun. For the first time in my life my heart felt free.

I wrapped my arms around Hector and hugged him tight. "Thank you my friend."

Hector returned my hug and said, "For you my friend, anything."

We strolled along making our way in and out of the stores that caught our interest. Some of the stores had rather bizarre items for sale. I found a couple of novelties I thought would be great reminders of our day. We saw a group statue at one point and the figures had been dressed like pioneers of old. We took turns snapping photos of each other and continued our walk. Finally, our stomachs were telling us it was time once again to eat. We made our way to the car and drove back to the hotel; from there we walked to Mama's Mexican Restaurant. Hector asked me once again if I trusted him and I grinned and told him absolutely. He ordered for both of us and we enjoyed a very nicely put together feast.

Once we had finished our meal, we strolled back to our hotel. Hector had his arm around my waist and I leaned my head against him. It was nice being close to someone and not having to worry if they would misunderstand. It was late when we returned to our hotel room. I kissed Hector's teardrops and thanked him for a wonderful day. He kissed my forehead and thanked me for asking him along. I went into my room and dressed for bed before slipping into bed and falling asleep.

_The places are real. The items ordered at Chinook's were listed on the on-line menu except Deanna told me about the Baja shrimp cocktail. If you are interested in seeing the places mentioned in this chapter then google them and you should get good pictures. The Troll under the bridge is awesome as is watching the salmon trying to get upstream. These next few chapters will see Stephanie and Hector enjoying the sites of Seattle. Hope you all enjoy the wonders Seattle has to offer as well as the story that will unfold while they are there._


	4. A Day Of Fun

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**You might not want to be eating when Stephanie and Hector finish at the Sky City Restaurant.**_

Chapter 4: A Day Of Fun

Stephanie's POV:

I rolled over and checked the clock on the bedside table. I couldn't believe it when I saw it was 7 a.m. I threw the covers back and slipped out of bed, making my way into the bathroom. It didn't take long to shower, shampoo my hair, and get dressed. I applied a light coating of makeup and pulled my hair back into a ponytail. After brushing my teeth and making sure I looked presentable, I headed out to the sitting room where I surprised Hector. His eyes opened wide when I entered the room and he turned to check the time on the clock before rubbing his eyes as if to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

I laughed and said, "Smartass."

Hector grinned. "You hungry?"

My stomach chose that moment to growl and we both laughed at the timing. We made our way to the street and Hector led the way. We had been walking about 10 minutes when Hector opened the door to Tully's and we walked inside. I followed him to the counter and my mouth started watering immediately. I was trying to make a decision before the cashier asked us for our order and I couldn't decide between the raspberry cream cheese scone and the lemon merengue scone. Unfortunately the person behind the counter made it to us before I could make my decision. I looked up and met Hector's gaze.

Hector smiled, "We get both and share."

I grinned, giving him a nod. Hector gave our order. A single mocha in a tall cup with whole milk and chocolate syrup for me and a regular black coffee for him, then one of each of the scones. He carried our food to one of the tiny tables outside and we sat down to eat our breakfast. I moaned as I took my first bite of the raspberry cream cheese scone. My eyes widened when I saw Hector's eyes close and he smiled when he took a bite of it. The lemon scone was a nice complement. It was tart and every bit as delicious. Once we finished, we threw our trash away and I took out the map that I had brought along.

"They have a duck tour that starts by the Seattle Center where the Space Needle is. How does that sound for this morning?"

"Si. Sounds good."

It took us 5 minutes to reach our destination. We didn't have long to wait because there was a duck loading up as we arrived. I bought two tickets and we got on the duck. Hector directed me to a seat at the back. In no time our tour was starting. We drove through Seattle as the driver pointed out places of interest. I couldn't believe how many of them were already on our list of places to go. Then we went into lake Washington and Lake Union as well as some other places. I thought I recognized one spot from the movie Sleepless In Seattle. About that time our driver directed our gazes to the area I had spotted and confirmed that was indeed in the movie. Hector and I were both laughing at the antics of our driver. He was so funny that at times I had tears streaming from my eyes. Although Hector laughed and was having as much fun, he was better able to control the tears.

Too soon our ride was over and it was time for us to get off. I handed the driver a tip and he winked at me. When Hector took my hand to help me off, the driver moaned and said, "Seems like the pretty girls always get the best guys."

I turned to see how Hector was responding and saw the glare he was giving to the man. As we walked away I asked, "Did he just make a pass at you?"

"Si. He's not my type."

I smiled, "You know, if you see someone who does interest you, I can go solo for a while."

"We stay together. If I see someone I like, they will understand."

I nodded. We walked down to the Seattle Center and walked inside. We walked around and looked at the various things on display. They had some pretty amazing things. We made our way outside and found some shops. I found some great t-shirts and things. I noticed even Hector had found a couple of items. Once we finished our shopping, we went over to the Space Needle. It was nearly lunch time and we figured we would ride in the elevator to the top and eat at the Sky City Restaurant. When it was our turn to get into the elevator I was a little nervous. After all, we were going 520 feet above sea level. Hector must have sensed my nervousness because he took hold of my hand and started talking to me about the places we planned to visit later that day.

It took us nearly 30 minutes to get to the top. Whether they were having elevator issues or this was a normal trip I have no idea but it was too long being cramped in a dinky elevator if you asked me. Not as bad as a coffin mind you, but a close second. Hector had his arm wrapped around my waist by the time we got to the top floor and he was giving me worried glances so I figured I must be white with the fear I was having difficulty hiding. I was starting to wonder if this was such a great idea since my stomach was going to be full on the way down. I don't normally have issues with heights so I was surprised this was as hard as it was…but I think it was more that it is such a slow moving elevator and kind of on the small side.

We finally reached the top and Hector led us to the observation deck. I was glad for the chance to get control of my senses. We walked around and the view was outstanding. It was a clear day and I could see Rainier in the distance. I was thrilled with the view. We finally decided to get a table and order. When the waiter handed us the lunch menu I noticed there were a _lot _of sandwiches and salads for choices. I sighed. Hector laughed and I looked up into his laughing eyes. I knew what he was thinking so I just stuck my tongue out at him. He threw his head back and laughed even louder.

I ordered the Buratta and Hot Coppa which was hand pulled mozzarella, creamy ricotta, watercress, cured olive, oven dried tomato and 25 year balsamic. With that I also ordered the Rustic Flat Bread which had oven dried tomato, basil pesto, and cilingene. Both Hector and I asked for coffee. While the waiter was off putting in our appetizer order and getting our coffee, I leaned forward and said, "Crap, for these prices I expect more than a sandwich for Pete's sake. Can you believe some of the prices?"

Hector shook his head, "Food is probably bad."

I glared, "It better not be. This food better be the best I've ever tasted."

When the waiter came back with our coffee and to take the rest of our order, I ordered the smoked RR Ranch Ribeye with creamed corn, duck fat frites, and BBQ sauce paper. I frowned as I gave my order thinking to myself, what the hell is BBQ sauce paper? I hope these idiots don't actually expect me to eat paper. Hector ordered the Klamath King Salmon with rainbow potatoes, wilted pea vines, and bay leaf butter. Our waiter left with our food order and our appetizer came to the table. By now I was so hungry I didn't care what I was eating. Needless to say, we were less than impressed with the appetizers. The only good thing so far about the whole thing was the view. It was continually moving and we were getting quite a view of Seattle.

When our main course came I was even less impressed. The food was mediocre at best. Even the coffee couldn't match what we'd had at breakfast. When the waiter asked if we'd had a pleasant dining experience I grimaced slightly before giving a tiny smile, "The people are friendly and the view is great. Unfortunately the food wasn't that great but thanks anyway."

The waiter was sorry we didn't enjoy our food. I paid the bill and Hector and I headed for the elevator. I was hoping Hector and I would have the elevator to ourselves, but we weren't that lucky. Instead, four other couples joined us for the trip down. Unfortunately for us a couple of the men decided to dissect their meal in detail and the closer we got to the ground, the more upset my stomach felt. When the doors opened, I thought I was actually going to make it before I let loose the contents of my stomach. Too bad the other couples were moving so slowly. I had actually made it to the elevator doors when a man jostled me as he entered the elevator. The lapse in concentration was all it took and the contents of my stomach came back up and landed on the man who didn't want to wait before getting on. When I finished spraying my lunch all over the unsuspecting male, I lifted my gaze to see just how bad it was. My face felt hot as I took in the dark blonde hair, hazel green eyes and dark tanned features of the most gorgeous male I'd ever seen. He stood 6'3" with a powerful build. There was no spare weight on him anywhere. He would definitely fit in with the Merry Men, yet there was an alpha male quality to him. The look on his face as he took in the condition of his suit was less than pleased. His gaze was hard as his eyes met mine and his mouth tightened.

I tried to apologize but my mouth wouldn't cooperate. Just then his companion stepped in to join him and wrinkled her nose at the sight. She turned a scathing gaze to me and said, "If you can't hold your liquor, perhaps you shouldn't drink."

Mortified I turned and rushed away. A few steps later Hector pulled me to a stop and asked, "You okay Angel?"

I nodded and sighed, "Yeah. Just a little mortified."

Hector smiled and said, "Let's get you clean."

Twenty minutes later we were walking back into the lobby of our hotel. It took another hour before I had finally washed all traces of my lunch off me. Once I was dressed, I went out and joined Hector. I plopped down on the sofa and put my feet on the coffee table. I tilted my head to Hector and asked, "What would you like to do now?"

Hector looked at me for a couple minutes and then suggested, "We go walk."

I thought about it for a minute and decided he had something there. I nodded and smiled, "Okay. We go walk." I stood up and slipped on a pair of sandals and grabbed my purse. It took us 30 minutes to get from our hotel to Pioneer Square. Hector suggested we take the tour and I have to say I was impressed to learn more of the history of Seattle. Walking around beneath street level and seeing the true bottom floor of the businesses was awesome. When the tour ended, I turned and wrapped my arms around Hector.

"Thank you my friend. That was just what I needed."

"Anything for you Angel. You hungry?"

I grinned, "Si. I could definitely eat."

We walked into Chuck's Hole In The Wall BBQ and grabbed a table. Hector asked me what I wanted and I chose the slow-smoked brisket of beef, smoked BBQ beans, fresh coleslaw, and picnic potato salad. Hector went up and got our food. I moaned with my first bite. The flavor was out of this world. It was just what I wanted. We finished our meal and after a trip to the ladies room to wash up, I was ready for the walk back to our hotel. We took extra time on the way back to the hotel, going into various places that caught our interest. Finally, an hour later we walked into the lobby of our hotel and Hector and I made our way up to our suite.

_Menu items were googled except Tully's. Those are actually scones I had on my trip while in Seattle. I had never had coffee before so the way Stephanie had hers is how my friend's cousin ordered it for me. I don't know how long the actual ride in the elevator is up to the top of the Space Needle, I think I heard 20 minutes from one of the people that worked there but not sure. I went to the Space Needle with my friend with the idea of going up. I looked at the elevator and then up as I heard someone say it was 520 above sea level. I looked at my friend and then back up. Finally, my friend and I said together, well…we came….we saw….PASS! Hope you enjoyed another glimpse into the wonders of Seattle._


	5. Rainbow Flags

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**Special thanks to Vanessa Loor for translating what Hector told the man in the bar. **__Any mistakes are mine. _

Chapter 5: Rainbow Flags

(_Although Hector's thoughts are in Spanish, they will appear here in English so we can all understand what he is thinking. His conversation with Stephanie will of course take place in English because we all know Steph doesn't speak Spanish either.)_

Hector's POV:

I woke up at 5 like most days and dressed in my usual workout clothes. I slipped out of the hotel room and made my way down to the street. I looked around and decided to just head out and run. I found myself running uphill and pushed myself to make the steep climb. After 30 minutes my breathing was the same as if I had been running for 2 hours. I decided to turn and head back to the hotel, knowing because of the steep hills I was running up and down that the shorter workout would be okay because of the work my body was having to do. I showered and dressed and decided to check out the map and list of places Stephanie wanted to visit. When I picked up her list, I noticed shopping in the Capitol Hill district was towards the top of her list. Although shopping wasn't my favorite past time, for her I would do anything.

I opened my laptop and checked out the food places in the area where we would be going and smiled as I read about one of the spots I thought might interest Stephanie. I put the GPS directions into my phone and had just shut down the computer when Stephanie came out of her room. She was dressed in a pair of charcoal gray shorts and a red blouse tied at the waist. Her hair was pulled back into the usual ponytail. She looked beautiful. She looked so much happier since we came here. I was glad she was letting go of the past and moving forward with her life. I smiled at her as she came and sat beside me and pointed looked at my watch. For the second day in a row she was up and dressed by 8 a.m.

Stephanie laughed at my pointed look at my watch and pulled her feet up under her on the sofa. She grinned at me and asked, "What are you plotting?"

I handed her the list and pointed, "Capitol Hill today?"

She nodded, "Sounds good to me. Do we eat first or when we get there?"

"When we get there. Found place I think you like."

She nodded and got up to get a pair of shoes. She chose the sandals she had been wearing since we arrived. I used the GPS I downloaded to my phone to get us to the North Hill Bakery. We parked and went inside. While Stephanie was making her decision on what she was going to get for her breakfast, I asked one of the ladies behind the counter if I could get a piece of wedding cake for Stephanie. I told her how much Steph liked cake and the woman smiled knowingly at me and nodded. She went in the back and I joined Stephanie. Stephanie chose a chocolate chip brioche with cream cheese filling and I chose a cinnamon Danish. When the woman I talked to brought out the slice of cake, Stephanie rewarded us with a moan of pleasure. I noticed both the women's eyes go dark with desire and my eyes narrowed. We added two cups of coffee and took our breakfast to one of the tables set up for patrons.

Although I enjoyed Steph's vocal sounds because I knew it meant she was enjoying her food, I noticed the two women behind the counter were enjoying the sounds for a whole other reason. One of them went to join us but I sent a look her way that had her paling and rushing back behind the counter. Once we were finished, I threw our garbage away and we headed outside to start our shopping. We walked around the neighborhood going in and out of shops. Stephanie was fascinated by the rainbow flags flying outside the stores. It was getting close to lunch time so I was checking to see what our choices were of the places close by. I was aware of the sound of the door opening and I knew someone entered. I looked up and froze. There in the doorway was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. He stood close to 6' in height and he had a lean yet muscular build. He had dark blonde hair and hazel green eyes that framed a truly beautiful face. He was lightly tanned and he was smiling, making the dimples visible. I was pulled to him like I have never been to anyone else. Our eyes met and locked, and I saw his darken with desire.

Stephanie had finished her shopping and joined me. I felt her eyes on me and then I saw her look to the man who had caught my attention. I turned and focused only to see her smiling at me. I raised an eyebrow and she laughed. I asked her if she was done shopping and she nodded. We headed for the door and just as I was ready to walk outside, Stephanie put her hand on my arm and I stilled waiting to see what she was up to.

Stephanie smiled and said, "Hi. My name is Stephanie and this is my friend Hector. We are here on vacation and we aren't up on all the best places to go. Could you give us some suggestions?"

He smiled and my breath caught. He was gorgeously, beautiful and I felt a hot bolt of lightning hit my chest. "Well ma'am, I'm not sure I would be the best person to ask. I'm not sure what's popular for couples like you."

Stephanie laughed. "Hector is my friend. He'd be more interested in you than in me."

I looked at her and saw the twinkle in her eye. The little minx was playing matchmaker. In this instance I wasn't going to reprimand her. The blonde's gaze caught mine again and I saw him smile in pleasure. "In that case we usually start out at R Place on Broadway. It's a three story sports bar, and then we head to Neighbours, it's a two story sports bar and stays open later. If you are interested you can join me tonight and I'll show you both around." He turned to Stephanie, "You may not have much fun though."

Stephanie grinned and said, "I love to dance and I'm not looking for a relationship. If you two don't mind my going along then I won't mind dancing and having fun."

The blonde held out his hand and said, "My name is Casey Rand."

Stephanie shook his hand then he held his hand out to me and I shook it as well. I felt the jolt the second our hands met and I know he felt something similar. He looked around the store for a second and then asked, "Are you two hungry?"

Stephanie's stomach growled and all three of us laughed. Casey led the way to Mod Super Fast Pizza. We grabbed a booth in the back and I sat with my back to the wall so I could cover all the doors and windows. We got 2 Mad Dog pizzas which had red sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, Italian sausage, and crumbled meatballs. Stephanie ordered a coke and I and Casey ordered beers. We had a great lunch and with Stephanie leading the conversation, I learned all sorts of things about Casey. Casey was 25 years old with a Master's Degree in Architecture. He had an older brother who liked to boss him around and had raised him when their parents died in a plane crash 15 years before. By the end of the meal, not only were we joining Casey tonight to go clubbing, but Stephanie had arranged for him to come whale watching with us the next day.

Casey laughed when Steph made a face after taking her first bite of pizza. He asked, "What's the matter?"

She grimaced, "Its definitely not Pino's."

Casey looked puzzled and I said, "That's where she eats back home."

Casey grinned, "You'll have to come to my place next time for pizza. I make it homemade."

Steph's eyes widened, "You cook too?"

"I love cooking."

Casey showed us around that afternoon and we stopped into Jake's Bar & Grill for dinner. The food was pretty good and I loved watching Casey's reaction to Steph enjoying her food. We entered R Place and Casey took us around introducing us to several people. I kept a close watch on Stephanie to make sure she wasn't made uncomfortable. Steph bumped into me and told me to cut loose; she would drive us back to the hotel. I knew I wouldn't have more than a couple beers, but I decided to take her advice and enjoy myself. Casey was wonderful. He had a funny wit and the more I was around him, the more time I wanted to spend with him. We played darts and pool, and I was impressed with his skill in throwing darts. He hit the bull's-eye every time. He even put his back to the board and managed to hit the center each throw of the dart. When we moved on to Neighbours, the three of us spent quite a bit of the night dancing. Several times guys would stop by and ask Casey to dance. He would decline nicely and they shook their heads and moved on.

At one point a big burly biker type stopped by and leaned in to Stephanie. He was obviously drunk and he asked, "What's a nice straight girl like you doing in a dive like this?"

Steph leaned back closer to me and said, "I'm spending time with my friends."

He grinned, "I can show you a much better time."

She gave him her best Jersey girl Burg glare and replied, "I doubt it."

He took exception and pulled himself up to his full height. "Well looks like you're going to get to see for yourself bitch."

He went to reach for her and I grabbed and twisted his wrist till he was kneeling on the floor with his mouth open wide. I knew the pressure I was putting on his wrist would soon have it snapping but I wanted to get my point across. I leaned close to him and asked, "Entendido?" (_Do you understand me?_)

The man nodded his head, "Si."

I smiled at him and it wasn't a nice smile. It was the smile that until today only dead men saw. I continued, "Vas a sacarle tus manos asquerosas de encima de mi amiga y no la vas a volver a molestar o te rajo la garganta y te corto la lengua y se la doy de comer a los perros." (_You will keep your filthy hands off of my friend and you will never approach her again or I will slit your throat and cut out your tongue to feed to the dogs._)

With that I let go of the man and he fell backwards. Two other men joined him and sent a look my way. One of them asked, "You okay Hank?"

The man I'd spoken to nodded and said, "Yeah. But I'm ready to head home. This is not as much fun as I thought it would be."

Steph leaned in close and asked Casey, "Is there another way out of here? I don't think we've heard the last of those guys and I'd like to be gone when they come back."

Casey's eyes narrowed as he took in the expression on her face. "You're serious aren't you?"

She nodded. "It's a feeling."

Casey turned and looked around. He bit his lip and then suddenly gave a nod. "Okay. Let's go. They have a back door. I just want to give Barney a heads up."

Casey stopped and talked to the bartender. The man nodded and they shook hands. We had no more gotten out of the door and several police cars were pulling into the lot. We made it to our car and in no time were headed back to our hotel. Stephanie invited Casey up but he declined. He slipped me a paper with his number and address on it. We shook hands and he told us he'd see us in the morning. As I watched him go I felt something shift in the region of my heart. I smiled thinking Stephanie did me the best favor she could have when she asked me to come with her to Seattle. For the first time in a long time I was looking forward to spending more time with someone I just met. Lately there had been too many one night stands to scratch an itch. This felt like more. So much more.

_So what do you think? Will Casey be the one for Hector? Can you guess what's up next? The places they ate are real and the menus were googled, although I added the chocolate chips and cream cheese filling to Steph's order and the flavor of Hector's danish. Thank you Deanna for the info on the two nightclubs where they went. Capitol Hill is the gay community and when I was in Seattle I was fascinated by the rainbow flags the businesses had outside their doors. Sigh….what can I say, I had no idea this was a gay symbol, I guess I was naïve. We did go into a few shops when we were there but 10 years later I don't remember the names anymore. _


	6. Whale Watching

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **_

Chapter 6: Whale Watching

Stephanie's POV:

When I walked out of my room fully dressed at 8 a.m., Hector and Casey were sitting close together on the sofa. I noticed Hector's hand resting near Casey's and his thumb was rubbing over the back of Casey's hand. I smiled, happy for my friend that he seemed to have found someone. I smiled as I joined them and asked what we were doing for breakfast. They both chuckled and Hector replied, "We go to Tully's."

I moaned and replied, "I love their scones. Their coffee is the best. Better than that Starbucks crap."

Casey laughed loudly. "Better not say that too loud Sunshine. There are lots of people who love Starbucks just as much."

I laughed again and we headed out for the day. I made sure I had my camera and everything. Casey and Hector walked on either side of me as if they were protecting me from the outside world. Casey led us to a gorgeous yellow with black interior 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class. I slipped in the back and the guys got in the front. We stopped and ate breakfast at Tully's and then we headed for Friday Harbor. Once we reached the Harbor, we rode the ferry to the island because the boats on the island have less travel time and more possibilities than the mainland boats for what we were planning for the day. We got on a boat that was going to take us Whale watching called the Zodiac. Casey said this group had the best Captains and Naturalists.

I took several pictures, some of Casey, some of Hector, and then of course some of them together. Another passenger offered to take one of the three of us so I handed over the camera and the three of us posed for the camera. I managed to get several magnificent shots of the whales. They were so beautiful and when I saw my first one I could feel the tears sting my eyes. To be that close to all that magnificent power was breathtaking. I knew by the markings that it was a Killer Whale. We also saw Bald Eagles flying in the sky, Seals, Sea Lions, and Porpoises. It was a perfect day and I couldn't have asked for anyone better to share the day with.

We were pulling into the harbor when Casey's phone rang. He walked a couple steps away to take the call. Hector and I tried not to eavesdrop but we couldn't help but hear Casey's side. "Hello?" then he paused. After a couple minutes, "Its none of your business Rand." He looked over at us and grimaced, lifting his free hand in the air as if asking, 'What can I do?' Finally, he turned and lowered his voice to answer, "I don't care what you think you know. I know you're my brother and I love you man, but you have to stop interfering in my life."

Casey disconnected the call and returned. Hector put a hand on his shoulder and asked, "You okay?"

Casey smiled and replied, "Yes. Just wishing big brother would get a life of his own and let me live mine. He knows I'm gay, but he's not real accepting of it yet."

Once we got back in the car Casey drove us to the Woodinville Wine Cellars for dinner. We went to the Barking Frog Restaurant where we were shown to a table with a view and handed menus. The waiter came to take our drink orders. Casey turned to us and grinned before asking, "Do you trust me?"

Surprisingly enough I nodded as did Hector. Casey turned to the waiter and ordered a wine to go with our appetizers. Then he ordered Wild Salmon Tartare, Grand Marnier Prawns with mixed greens and Lemongrass Vinaigrette, as well as Grilled Foccacia & Prosciutto di Parma which was Oregon Smokey Blue Cheese, Toasted Hazelnuts, Fig Jam, and Grape Must Syrup. The waiter smiled and went to put in our order. We spent the next several minutes looking over the menu and talking as we waited for the waiter to return.

The waiter returned with our wine choice as well as waters. He asked for our choices and I ordered the Wild King Salmon with corn fritter, summer succotash, and saffron corn sauce. Hector ordered the Anderson Ranch Lamb Loin & Lamb Sausage with falafel, Taggiasca Olives, Semi dried ~Oil cured tomatoes, eggplant & feta puree, and lamb demi-glace. Casey ordered the grilled 16 ounce Washington Rib Eye with warm fingerling & summer bean salad, watercress, and veal demi-glace. Once again Casey ordered a wine that would go with each of our meals. The food was delicious and by the time we had finished our appetizers and wine, our main course was arriving. We each took drinks of the water to refresh our palate and dug in. The food was wonderful By the time we had finished I was feeling a buzz. Hector and Casey on the other hand were in perfect form. The waiter returned and asked if we cared for dessert. Hector grinned and looked at me before raising an eyebrow. I rolled my eyes as if asking him 'are you for real? Ever known me to turn down dessert?'

I ordered the steamed dark chocolate cake with malted yogurt ice cream, cinnamon snow, and frosted nibs. Hector ordered the Crème Brulee du Jour, and Casey ordered the Artisan Cheese Plate as well as the Early Bird French Press Coffee which was a boutique roaster with cinnamon & chocolate sticks and Chantilly cream for each of us. When the desserts came we each shared so everyone could get a good tasting of all the desserts. By the time we were finished I swore I wouldn't eat for a week. We were walking towards the exit when there was a commotion at the door. Casey froze for a second and I looked from him to the people who had just entered the restaurant. My eyes widened in recognition. It was the couple from the Space Needle. The redheaded woman and the blonde haired man I had gotten sick on. I could feel my cheeks turning red as we stood there. Hector spoke softly to Casey, "Problem?"

Casey's mouth firmed and he shook his head to indicate no. We continued walking and the man who'd just entered looked at Casey as if he knew he would see him here. He gave a slight lift of his mouth that might have been considered to be a smile as he nodded to Casey. Casey stood up straight and met the older man's gaze. "Rand. I wasn't expecting to see you here."

Rand's sexy voice was mocking as he answered, "No reason you should."

I felt Rand's gaze go over Hector and then myself and I unconsciously reached out to take Hector's hand. Hector took hold of my hand and both he and Casey stepped closer to me. It was then the woman spoke up and said, "Isn't that the drunk who threw up on you a couple days ago Rand darling?"

I wanted to sink through the floor but forced myself to stand tall and meet Rand's icy gaze. Recognition dawned and his eyes got even icier if that were possible. I smiled and sent him a finger wave. He raised an eyebrow and I rolled my eyes and muttered, "Figures. Every guy I know does the eyebrow thing."

I felt Casey shaking and turned to see what was wrong. He was silently laughing. After a minute he shook his head and spoke softly, "Let's go."

We followed him out to the car. I felt Rand's eyes on us the whole way. Once we were in the car Casey looked at me in the rearview mirror and said, "What did she mean about the drunk who got sick on him?"

As we headed back to the hotel, I proceeded to tell Casey about my and Hector's trip to the Space Needle and how the elevator had affected me more than I thought it would, and how by the time we got to the ground again I was barely holding on. Casey laughed so hard he had to pull the car to the side of the road until he could get himself back under control. By the time we made it back to the hotel it was late. I asked Casey to come up and he hesitated. I could tell he and Hector wanted to spend some time together so I smiled and said the magic words. Finally he agreed and he walked into the hotel with us. Once we got in the suite, I kissed Hector's teardrops and then turned and kissed Casey's cheek. "I'm going to bed guys. Its time for you two to spend time getting to know each other better." With that I went into my room and shut the door.

I had just slipped into bed when the Batman theme played on my cell phone. I picked it up off the nightstand and connected the call. "Yo."

"Yo yourself Babe. Are you enjoying yourself?"

I smiled, "I am actually. Hector and I are having a great time. Today we went whale watching and I saw Killer Whales. Oh Ranger it was so awesome."

I could hear the smile in his voice as he said, "I'm glad Babe."

"So, what's up?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you didn't call just to see if I'm having a good time."

Ranger chuckled, "No. But its nice to hear that you are enjoying yourself."

"I am. Now what's up?"

"I just wanted to let you and Hector know that the FBI is looking into both of you. Manny fielded the call for information on a couple of pictures that have gone out to all law enforcement offices for general information. Someone is trying to find out who both of you are."

I sat down on the bed and put a hand on my stomach. "Shit. I go across country and still manage to end up on someone's radar."

"Don't worry about it too much Babe. Just make sure you tell Hector. We handled it on this end."

"Thanks Ranger."

"No price Babe."

We disconnected and I sat the phone back on the nightstand. I slipped under the covers and was asleep in no time.

_Okay, I am having trouble with the first name of Casey's brother. I thought about his name being Chase, but wasn't thrilled with it the more I thought about it. Then I thought I might have his name be Thor. I am leaning towards that name right now. Anyone have a totally cool name they want to put out there? I'm willing to consider all choices. The family name is Rand and that is what everyone calls big brother. Eventually though his first name is going to have to come out. Can you guess who's going to call him by the first name he hates?_


	7. A Trip To Sunrise on The Mountain

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **_

Chapter 7: A Trip To Sunrise on The Mountain

Stephanie's POV:

I was up at 7 a.m. again. I shook my head and thought if this continued when we went back to Trenton; the guys wouldn't know what to think. I headed for the shower and shaved all the necessary places before showering and shampooing. I stepped out of the shower and dried off before dressing in a pair of blue jeans, running shoes, and a yellow sleeveless blouse. I brushed my hair and pulled it back into a ponytail then securing it and then brushed my teeth. I added a light coating of makeup and then packed my purse. I headed out into the sitting room and saw Hector and Casey embracing. They moved away from each other and Hector turned to me and grinned. He looked pointedly at his watch.

I rolled my eyes and said, "Just don't tell any of the guys back home or I'll never live it down."

"Secret safe with me."

I put my hands on my hips and looked at the two of them for a minute. "What would you guys like to do today?"

Casey's eyes narrowed and he asked, "Did you enjoy yourself yesterday?"

I grinned, "I had a wonderful time. Why?"

"I'd like to take you guys to Mt. Rainier National Park and take you up on the mountain."

"The mountain that we see in the distance practically all over town?"

Casey grinned, "That's the one."

I shrugged, "Sounds good to me."

We headed out. I stopped suddenly and turned to Hector, "Ranger called last night. He said there was an inquiry sent to law enforcement agencies asking for information on us. It was a photo that was sent. Ranger said they handled it there but it came in from the FBI."

Casey's head turned around at that and he scowled. "Damn Rand! I'd bet a hundred dollars its my brother sending out the inquiry."

Hector's face looked fierce, "Why?"

Casey shook his head, "His job. Makes him paranoid."

With that we headed down to the car. We decided to go to Tully's again for breakfast. Or rather I did and the guys indulged me. Once we had eaten, Casey drove us to Mount Rainier National Park. We stopped at Pizza Hut on the way and grabbed a couple pizzas' to picnic when we got where we were going. We reached the entrance a couple hours after leaving the hotel. Casey told us he was taking us up on the Sunrise side. I was glad Casey was driving and I was sitting in the middle of the back seat. It was beautiful. I made the mistake of looking over the side on Hector's side of the road and had to remind myself to breath because the view stole my breath. Hector turned around and asked if I was okay. I smiled and told him yes. Then I told him it was a good thing this wasn't an elevator. We all laughed at that. We had made it maybe a little more than half way when Casey pulled into a parking area and asked if we wanted to get out and walk around.

We followed a path into some trees and I loved the beauty surrounding us. We headed back after a while and Casey suggested I pose for a picture. I sat on a ledge and struck a pose. Casey took a few photos and then Hector joined me for a couple more. I suggested I take a couple of the two of them so they struck various poses while I clicked away. There was an older couple and the woman asked if I wanted her to take a picture of the three of us. I handed over my camera and she snapped several of the three of us together. We finally got back in the car and headed to Sunrise. Casey told us that Sunrise is a lodge and visitor center in the northern part of the park. It's the highest point in the park accessible by vehicle. We ate our pizza and then went hiking. I could tell Hector was enjoying himself and Casey seemed to be in his element. When we had finally had enough, we headed back to the car. Casey drove to the Alpine Inn. I felt like I was on a rollercoaster ride going up and down and all around. When the car finally came to a stop I was anxious to stand on solid ground.

We made our way into the Alpine Inn Restaurant. We were shown to a table and handed menus. I ordered Sautéed Brie Cheese which was breaded and sautéed wedges of brie cheese topped with apricot compote and served with sourdough baguette, apples and toasted almond slices. Hector ordered Tenderloin Bruschetta which was beef tenderloin, tomato, basil and melted mozzarella cheese and creamed horseradish served warm. Casey ordered the Three Cheese Sampler which was French de Rambol, Wisconsin Gorgonzola, Wensleydale with Cranberries, served with crostini, rhubarb spread, pears and grapes. Then we ordered Butter Poached Shrimp served with Avocado salsa. The waiter asked us for our drink orders and we each chose an Ale. The waiter left with our appetizer order and said he'd be back in a few minutes. While he was gone we looked over the menu.

The waiter returned with our Ales and set them before us. He asked if we'd had time to choose our entrées. I ordered the Pasta which was spicy garlic cream sauce topped with grilled shrimp and steamed clams served over pasta. Hector ordered the New Zealand Lamb Rack Chops with a cabernet cherry sauce cooked medium rare served with artichoke, roasted red pepper risotto. Casey ordered the Porterhouse Pork Chop grilled with pomegranate gastrique, served with sweet potato and cranberry hash. The waiter had no more than left the table when our appetizers were brought to us. We shared the four dishes and had just finished when the main course was brought. The waiter brought each of us another Ale. I tried each of the guy's dishes and they in turn tried mine. The food was excellent and by the time we were finished we were all full.

Casey drove us back to Seattle and when we got back to the hotel I leaned forward and smiled, "You coming up with us?"

Casey turned to Hector and I could tell by the look on his face that he wanted to. My smile grew wider and I said, "Come on. You know you want to."

Hector chuckled, "You come with. She won't let up."

Casey grinned and kissed my cheek. "Thanks."

We headed up to the suite and I went to go into my room but Casey took hold of my hand and said, "Its not that late. Why don't you stay out here for a while? At least then I don't feel like I'm chasing you to bed."

I smiled and sat down on the sofa. We watched a movie on TV and I started nodding halfway through. Not able to keep my eyes open anymore I stood and headed towards my room saying, "I'm calling it a night. See you two in the morning. Anymore trips we can take?"

Casey leaned his head back and replied, "We could go to a brewery and taste Ales. On the way there we could make a stop at Snoqualmie Falls. They have a nice waterfall."

I nodded, "Sounds like a plan. See you when I get up."

Hector started laughing, "See you 8 Stephanie."

I gave him my best Burg glare and continued onto bed.

I found myself up and dressed at 8 a.m. I narrowed my eyes and debated staying in my room for an hour but I was too excited to waste an hour for a principle. I walked out to see Hector and Casey waiting for me. Hector held up a coffee cup and my eyes opened wide. "You went to Tully's without me?"

Casey was shaking with laughter. "Actually I had to swing by my place and get clean clothes. I stopped on my way back. I hope you don't mind. I got you a variety of what they had."

I paused for a minute and checked over what he'd gotten. I decided I was okay with the choices he brought so I turned and smiled at him. "You did good. I assume that Boston Cream is for me?"

Casey looked like a deer caught in headlights. Hector laughed out loud and I could tell Casey was struggling with his answer, "Well, I guess. Sure."

I looked down at the desired treat and looked Casey in the eye, "You got it for yourself didn't you?"

Casey sighed, "Yeah. But you can have it."

I bit my lip, "How about if we split it?"

His eyes lit up, "Great idea."

Casey split the Boston Cream in half and I took the smaller half. We ate our breakfast and in no time we were in Casey's car heading out. Casey drove expertly through Seattle traffic and we headed east. Within an hour we were parking in the lot and getting out walking over to the platform to watch the waterfall. It was so beautiful.

I turned to Casey and Hector and said, "I want you two to pose so I can take your picture."

They agreed and posed so I could take their photo. Then Casey took my camera and told me it was my turn. I struck a pose where I leaned back against the rail. Casey had just taken the picture when I turned back to look down and got dizzy. I turned to Hector with a panicked look and he took hold of my hand and pulled me to him. I wrapped my arms around him and clung. Casey put his hand on my shoulder and asked if I was alright. I nodded and told him I thought I was going to fall.

It was at that point that we heard a mocking voice say, "Well, well. What do we have here?"

Casey grimaced and turned to the man behind us. Rand stood there with a mocking look on his face. I was getting tired of his attitude and one of these days I was going to show him just how much his attitude irritated me. Casey straightened and said, "Are you following me Rand?"

Rand's eyes narrowed as he turned to look at Hector and then at me. He was thorough in his perusal of us. "I'm not interested in where you go Casey as long as I know you are safe. However these two I don't know."

"They are my friends. You don't need to know anything else."

Rand's look hardened, "That's where you are wrong little brother. There is much I need to know about both of them before I will be happy with your friendship."

Casey shook his head, "I'm an adult Rand. Back off!"

Casey went to push past Rand and the older man grabbed his arm. Casey pushed him away and Rand stepped back into Hector and me. I moved back out of his way and my foot caught on something. I felt myself fall against the rail and there was an ominous sound like cracking wood and I felt myself falling through the air. I heard Hector yell, "Stephanie!"

_Sorry guys, but I had to have at least one cliff-hanger in here. Don't worry, I'll have the next chapter up sometime next week…uh just kidding, I think._

_When we were in Seattle we made the trip to Mount Rainier National Park and headed up towards Sunrise. We were headed up and I was glad to be sitting behind the drive because my friend was on the opposite side of the car and finally could take it no longer and demanded to be let off the ride. The part about looking over the passenger side and having to remind myself to breath is me. The view really did take my breath away. Menu for Alpine Inn was googled. So, will Stephanie actually fall to the water below or will someone catch her? Who would catch her if she is in fact caught? _


	8. A Different POV

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **_

Chapter 8: A Different POV

Rand's POV:

My phone rang at 6 a.m. and I reached over and grabbed it off the nightstand. Jillian was sleeping soundly with her mouth wide open. I grimaced thinking to myself I was going to have to find a way to get her out of my life. She had been useful for a while. She had the connections I needed to wrap up this case I was working on, plus she was easy on the eyes and knew what to do with her body to please a man. Her attitude left a lot to be desired though. She was a first class bitch and I just wanted rid of her. The way she treated Casey whenever he was around was her own death sentence as far as this relationship was concerned.

I spoke softly so as not to wake her. I didn't need her nosing in where she didn't belong. "Yeah?"

"Sir, your brother has returned to his apartment. Do you want me to place a tracker on his car?"

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. I had already said he was to place a tracker on Casey's car as soon as he showed up, why the hell was he calling to ask if that's what I wanted? I growled, "Yes! That's what I told you to do."

"Just checking sir. By the way, the photo we sent out has brought in no results."

"Impossible. They have to live somewhere."

"Yes sir. But we got a negative from everywhere."

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. "Plant the tracker and I'll see what I can find out about them myself."

"Yes sir."

I disconnected the call and set my phone on the nightstand. I looked over at Jillian and decided I no longer needed her for the assignment so I was going to let things die. I slipped out of bed and dressed. When I was ready, I waited for her to wake up, wanting things to be over before I walked out the door. It was nearly an hour later before she started to stir, she reached out for where I would have been and from the way she was moving she was planning on a wake up session of sex. I knew the moment she realized I was no longer in bed with her.

Her eyes opened and she searched the room till her eyes locked on me. She smiled, "Why did you get dressed darling? I was planning on a little morning romp."

"I'm not interested anymore Jillian. To tell the truth, you bore me."

She sat up and looked stunned. "You've never seemed bored when we are making love."

I smiled wryly, "We don't make love, we fuck. There's a big difference."

Her face turned hard as her eyes narrowed, "Is there someone else?"

"Why does there have to be someone else for me to call it off with you? Why can't I just not be interested in your limited charms?"

"_Limited_!" she screeched. "_You bastard! Get out_!"

I smiled and replied, "Gladly. I just wanted to make sure you understood it was over before I left."

She gave me a look of hatred, "Don't worry, I wouldn't take you back if you begged me."

I laughed, "You don't have what it takes to make me beg."

With that I stood and headed for the door. A second before I reached the door a heavy object went whizzing past just barely missing me. I continued on my way as I laughed at her feeble attempts to hurt me. Once I got in my car I turned on my GPS system and pulled up Casey's tracker. I headed in the direction of his car and reached the destination in time to see him leaving the Edgewater Hotel with the two people he was hanging around with lately. I narrowed my eyes and thought to myself that I would know who they were before the day was out. I followed them to Snoqualmie Falls. They parked and I gave them a few minutes before I got out of the car and followed them. I noticed the Mexican stilled a couple times and glanced back but I was able to evade his notice. At one point he was looking right at me but I was lucky enough he didn't see me.

I followed them to the platform where people stand to watch the Falls. They were taking photos and having a good time. This was the first time I'd seen Casey this happy in a long time. I still had difficulty with the fact he said he was gay. I couldn't help but think if mom and dad had lived, his life might have turned out differently. I wondered what I had messed up to make him turn out the way he did.

Casey had just taken a picture when the woman with them turned back to look down and it seemed she got dizzy. She turned to the Mexican with a panicked look and he took hold of her hand and pulled her to him. She wrapped her arms around him and clung. Casey put his hand on her shoulder and asked if she was alright. She nodded and told him she thought she was going to fall.

I stepped up closer to him and said, "Well, well. What do we have here?"

Casey grimaced and turned towards me. I stood looking at them with a mocking look on my face. Casey straightened and said, "Are you following me Rand?"

My eyes narrowed as I turned to look at the two with him. I was thorough in my perusal of them. "I'm not interested in where you go Casey as long as I know you are safe. However these two I don't know."

"They are my friends. You don't need to know anything else."

My look hardened, "That's where you are wrong little brother. There is much I need to know about both of them before I will be happy with your friendship."

Casey shook his head, "I'm an adult Rand. Back off!"

Casey went to push past me and I grabbed his arm. Casey pushed me away and I stepped back into the other two. The woman moved back out of my way and her foot caught on something. She fell against the rail and there was an ominous sound like cracking wood and suddenly she was falling through the air. I heard the Mexican yell, "Stephanie!" at the same time as a hand clamped onto the belt of my slacks. The woman went over the side and even though I tried to stop us from going over, since her hand was clenched to my belt, we both went over the side to the water below.

I surfaced and noticed the woman was already treading water. My eyes narrowed and I didn't care if she did know how pissed off I was. I looked around to see the best exit point and started heading in that direction. I was aware of the extra weight I seemed to be taking with me but continued to the side figuring I could call her on it later. When we reached the side there were several people standing there waiting for us. There were three men holding towels and every single one of them went to the woman and put their towels around her. Casey and the Mexican were there in seconds and the Mexican pulled her away from the other men and spoke to her in Spanish. I smiled to myself at getting the information he just gave up. I hoped it would help me find out information about them.

My eyes narrowed as I studied the way he was with her. Although it was obvious he had feelings for her, it wasn't a man/woman type of relationship. Then I noticed the way Casey was comforting him and my mouth tightened. I was definitely checking these two out. The manager came over and apologized profusely for the faulty railing. I waved him away. I made my way up to my car and grabbed my bag out of the trunk. I took it inside and there was a woman there who stood standing with a towel she offered to me. I accepted the towel and went into the men's room figuring I had plenty of time to change and get back out there to follow the others. I stowed the wet things in the bag and headed back out. I made my way to where the manager was speaking with a group of maintenance workers and asked where the woman was. The manager looked at me funny and said he'd offered her the use of one of the guest rooms and she had already changed and left.

I strode angrily to my car and pulled up the tracker I had on Casey's car. I hit the steering wheel with my fist when the tracker showed up exactly where my car was sitting. I got out and checked. I had to lie on the pavement and look under the car in order to find it. Damn! There's no way Casey would have known how to find the tracker let alone place it on my car. Who the hell were those people he was with?

_Okay, is Rand still a jerk? Anyone like him better? Don't worry, you'll find out what Hector said to Stephanie in the next chapter as well as where they disappeared to and who moved the tracker. Snoqualmie Falls was a beautiful place and we went there both years we went to Washington. _


	9. A Decision Is Made

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**Special thanks to Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Hector's Spanish. Any mistakes are mine.**_

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **_

Chapter 9: A Decision Is Made

Casey's POV:

I had just taken a picture when Stephanie turned back to look down and it seemed she got dizzy. She turned to the Hector with a panicked look and he took hold of her hand and pulled her to him. She wrapped her arms around him and clung. I put my hand on her shoulder and asked if she was alright. She nodded and told me she thought she was going to fall.

Just then I heard a voice I recognized say, "Well, well. What do we have here?"

I grimaced and turned towards Rand. He stood looking at us with a mocking look on his face. I straightened and said, "Are you following me Rand?"

Rand's eyes narrowed as he turned to look at Stephanie and Hector. He was thorough in his perusal of them. "I'm not interested in where you go Casey as long as I know you are safe. However these two I don't know."

"They are my friends. You don't need to know anything else."

His look hardened, "That's where you are wrong little brother. There is much I need to know about both of them before I will be happy with your friendship."

I shook my head, "I'm an adult Rand. Back off!"

I went to push past Rand and he grabbed my arm. I pushed him away and he stepped back into Stephanie and Hector. Stephanie moved back out of Rand's way and her foot caught on something. She fell against the rail and there was an ominous sound like cracking wood and suddenly she was falling through the air. I heard Hector yell, "Stephanie!" at the same time as a hand clamped onto the belt of Rand's slacks. Stephanie went over the side and even though Rand tried to stop them from going over, since her hand was clenched to his belt, they both went over the side to the water below.

For a moment all I could do was stand there in stunned disbelief. The pain on Hector's face made my chest hurt. I was coming to care for him so much and the thought of him or Stephanie being hurt was unbearable to me. I was beginning to realize I loved him. I quickly snapped out of my stunned disbelief and Hector and I ran to the area below where Stephanie and Rand were swimming to the side to climb out. Once Stephanie was standing there were three men holding towels and every single one of them went to her and put their towels around her. Hector and I were there in seconds and the Hector pulled her away from the other men and spoke to her in Spanish. " Me alegra tanto que estes bien. Odiaria verte herida otra vez. Los muchachos me matarian si supieran que te hizistes daño bajo mi cuidado, sobretodo Ranger. Eres la persona mas suertuda que conozco. Todos los carros que hacen boom, los fugitivos, los locos, estoy tan feliz que estas bien." (_I am so glad you are okay. I would hate to see you hurt again. The guys would skin me alive if I were to allow you to get hurt on my watch, especially Ranger. You are the luckiest person I know. All the cars going boom, the skips, the crazies, I am so glad you are safe._)

I was aware of Rand stalking up towards the main building and knew we didn't have much time before he would be back with us. I asked the manager if there was someplace Stephanie could change. He offered us the use of a guest room and we made our way up there. I think Stephanie was thinking the same thing because she spoke softly to Hector, "I'll go get changed if you can make sure we no longer have a tail."

Hector smiled, "Si." He turned to me and said, "You take care my Angel."

With that he left. Stephanie went into the bathroom and was back out in 10 minutes. The manager had given her a pair of shorts, top, and shoes from the gift shop. Once she was ready we made our way out to the car. I frowned as I noticed Rand's car was parked close to where we had parked. Hector was standing there smiling. Stephanie asked him, "Which car did you place the tracker on?"

Hector motioned to Rand's car and I grinned. "That's Rand's car. I don't think he's going to appreciate that. But I love it. Are you ready?"

We got in the car and I asked them if they wanted to go to the brewery like we had planned. They both agreed that they were still okay with going. I drove to the Snoqualmie Falls Brewery Company. We went through the tasting tour and then I suggested we eat something before heading back. I sat down across from Stephanie and Hector sat between the two of us. When his foot bumped mine I felt the electricity run through my body. I couldn't get close to him without wanting him. I couldn't wait till we were together again. Hector was a marvelous lover and I was finding it harder and harder to not to show how I felt about him. The only thing holding me back was I didn't know how Hector felt about public displays of affection. Not that I was that into it, but I wanted to be able to hold his hand or hug him if the mood struck.

The waiter brought us menus and we ordered BBQ Chicken Fingers and a Nacho Platter which consisted of our choice of beef or chicken, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, cheddar cheese, jalapeno, black olives and pepperoncinis. We decided on the beef. Having already tasted several different types of Ale, we chose coffee as our drink of choice. When the waiter came back with our coffee, we ordered our main course. Stephanie ordered the Brewery Goddes Grinder which was Capicola (spicy ham), pepperoni, provolone, roasted red peppers, and red onion on a panino roll. Hector ordered the Badda-Boom Beef which was tasty roast beef, provolone, green chiles, red onions, and chipotle mayonnaise on a black sourdough rye bread. I ordered the Not so "Meek" Muffuletta which was capicola, smoked turkey, pepperoni, olive tapenade, provolone, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, and red onion and balsamic vinaigrette on a panino roll.

We tasted each other's sandwiches and everything was great. I cleared my throat towards the end of our meal and said, "I'm really sorry about Rand. He's my brother and I love him but he can be an ass."

Stephanie gave me a puzzled look and said, "I notice you call him Rand. Isn't that his last name too?"

I grinned, "Yeah. Everyone calls him Rand. No one has the nerve to use his given name."

She smiled, "Why? Is it hideous or something?"

I chuckled, "Not really. I think its a pretty nice name."

"Okay, I have to know, what is his name?"

"Thorton Connor. Our dad's name was Connor. Our mother loved Norse Mythology and so she named him for Thor, a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, hallowing, healing, and fertility."

Stephanie smiled and there was a wicked gleam in her eye. I shook my head. I had a feeling the next time Stephanie and my brother met there was going to be fireworks. We headed back to the Edgewater and this time it was Hector who invited me up to their suite. When we got out of the car, Hector put his hand on my back and kept contact between us. Once we reached the sitting room, Stephanie said good night and headed to her room. Once she had closed the door, Hector took me into his arms and kissed me. Our mouths fused with passion and I couldn't wait to get him naked so I could taste every inch of him.

_Since Casey was the only one we hadn't heard from, I thought I would give him a chance to voice his thoughts. I also gave Rand a first and middle name. Thor had the most votes with Thorton being suggested as the name. Connor was another suggested name. The two sounded good together. I would like to thank everyone who suggested a name. I really appreciated your help. (__Chase, Ranson, Ayn, Levi, Quinn, and Johnny Carson were also choices.) _ _The part where Casey tells about Thor was googled and much of that is word for word. Once again the restaurant was googled and items ordered are from a menu for the place._


	10. A Day Of Exploring

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **_

Chapter 10: A Day Of Exploring

Stephanie's POV:

I was falling and there was nothing to stop me. The only thing in my vision was a pair of hazel eyes full of anger. I knew the anger was directed at me but wasn't sure what I had done to cause it. I jerked awake before the fall was complete and I sat up in bed. I put my head in my hands and my phone rang. I reached over to the nightstand to get my phone and connected the call. I was still half asleep but managed a, "Yo?"

Ranger chuckled, "Did I wake you Babe?"

"No, not at all. I'm always up at…" I turned to check the time and my eyes opened wide, "Shit! Is that the time?"

"Yeah, it's nearly 10 a.m. your time."

"You'll never believe that this is the first time I've slept in since we've been here will you?"

I could hear the smile in his voice, "I'd believe anything you told me Babe. How's the vacation going? You ready to come home yet?"

"We're having a great time. We went hiking on Mount Rainier, Whale Watching, we went to the Locks and watched the Salmon swimming upstream, and yesterday we went to Snoqualmie Falls to see a waterfall."

"I heard you had some excitement at the Falls Babe. Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah. I was scared to death on the way down though. It was a really _long_ way down."

"You were lucky. You could have been seriously hurt."

"Is that why you're calling?"

"Partly to check that you're okay and also to tell you there was another request for information. I pulled some strings and got the search squashed and a warning for the searcher to cease and desist. Do you have any idea who might be investigating you and Hector?"

"I think so. We met a very nice young man and he's been spending a lot of time with us. His older brother is an ass and I'd bet anything he's the one doing the asking."

"Do you have a name for me Babe?"

"The brother's name is Thorton Connor Rand. Everyone calls him Rand. I know he carries weapons."

"How do you know that?"

"I saw a couple guns when we fell into the falls."

I could just see Ranger's eyebrow going up when he said, "We?"

I shrugged even though he couldn't see me, "I freaked when I felt myself falling and grabbed onto the only thing I could. It happened to be Rand's belt. He fell with me. Once we were in the water I kept hold of the belt and he ended up doing most of the work to get us out of the water."

Ranger chuckled, "Only you Babe. You'll call me if you need anything won't you?"

"You know I will."

"Alright. I'll make sure this guy stops looking and I'll see you when you get back. Enjoy your time out there Babe."

I smiled, "Thanks Ranger. Tell the guys I miss them."

"We miss you too Babe."

With that he hung up. I sighed, that was the closest to a goodbye as I'd ever gotten. I placed the phone back on the nightstand and headed for the shower. Once I was dressed in white shorts, navy blue t-shirt and my sandals, I walked out into the sitting room expecting to see Hector and Casey. They weren't there but I could hear the shower in Hector's room going so I sat down and waited for them to join me. It was nearly 11 a.m. when Casey and Hector entered the sitting room. They were both sporting wide smiles and I knew from the look in their eyes that things had progressed by leaps and bounds since last evening.

"Well, look who finally decided to surface."

Hector chuckled, "You hungry?"

I smiled, "Starving!"

"Let's go eat."

"Okay. How do you guys feel about walking around and checking out the shops and stuff?"

Hector nodded, "Okay." He turned to Casey, "You?"

Casey nodded, "That's fine with me."

We decided we would try the hotel's own restaurant, Six Seven. We headed down and were seated. The waiter handed us our menus and left us to look over the selections while he went and got us our coffee. By the time he returned, we were ready to order. I chose the Seattle's Favorite Mac & Cheese Au gratin with cheddar crumbs and reggiano. Both Hector and Casey chose the Fish & Chips which was beer-battered Alaskan cod with fries, classic tarter and lemon, served with a cup of artesian soup, nori sesame rice and a tangle of organic greens. When our food came, the guys tried my mac and cheese and shared their dishes with me. I moaned with my first bite of the ooey goodness.

Once we finished our meal we headed out. As we were walking I noticed there were large decorated, cast iron pigs in various places. There was one decked out like Elvis and I struck a pose while Hector took my picture. There were others, some painted with flowers, some made to look like famous people. There was one dressed up as Liberace, another as an alien, and still another all decked out in SWAT black. My eyes widened and I looked at Hector. He grinned knowing exactly what I was thinking. I sat on the back of the pig and lay so my head was beside the pig and gave Hector my most sultry look. He snapped away as I changed my poses slightly. Finally we moved on. While we were walking I saw a Macy's sign and dragged Hector and Casey inside. I found the perfect dress. It was a beautiful blue. I went in and tried it on and knew I was going to get it. It fit like a dream. And it was practical because I'd be able to wear it for distractions back home. Of course, now that I had a dress I had to find the perfect shoes to match. They were the most delicate sandals in the same color as the dress. They had a 5" heel and were the perfect FM shoes I'd ever seen with straps that crisscrossed my foot.

Once we left Macy's we went into Nordstrom's. There I found three gorgeous outfits and two more pairs of shoes. Next we made our way into Rainier Square and my eyes lit up as I saw the Victoria Secrets store. I was inside before either of the guys could say a word. I found several sets of underwear and a couple of nightie's…if you could call them that. In no time we were back out on the street. We continued walking and when we came to Pike's Place Market I suggested we go in and look around. Casey's eyes twinkled as he told us we would enjoy watching the fish fly. I gave him a puzzled look but he said no more.

We walked into the Market and there was an area where fresh fish were sold. As we stood there looking around someone asked for a certain type of fish. Suddenly there was a fish flying through the air from one man to another. The fish was wrapped in paper and then once again it went flying through the air to the customer. Casey laughed at the stunned look on our faces. Hector's stunned look was more that he'd crouched as soon as the fish went flying and remained still. My mouth was open wide and I was staring. We stood there watching the fish throwing for a while. Someone asked for a monk fish and the guy threw it right at me. It looked pretty creepy and a lady next to me screamed. Just before it reached me it moved back to the man who'd thrown it. There was a string attached to the thing. The man laughed and asked if he scared me. I gave him a wry look and told him he'd have to do better if he wanted to scare me. He raised an eyebrow and I rolled my eyes. We moved on shortly after that.

We walked around looking at the different merchandise being sold. As we were nearing a picnic type table, I saw a man sitting on the table with one foot resting on the seat and the other foot on the ground. There was a large dog with him and as I glanced down at the dog, my eyes caught sight of something hanging down the side of his leg past the shorts line. My eyes rolled and I nudged Hector. He turned to me and I motioned to the man. It took him only seconds to see what I was indicating.

He shook his head, "Only you Stephanie."

Casey frowned, "What?"

I nodded my head toward the other man and said, "His shorts are too short."

Casey looked and started chuckling. "Are you embarrassed or impressed?"

I gave him a look and replied, "I'm a Jersey girl. It would take more than that to embarrass or impress me. I've seen more than my share of men's ding a lings and he has nothing to be proud of let me tell you."

Casey looked at me like he couldn't believe what I had just said and then he turned to Hector, "She's kidding right?"

Hector shook his head. Casey's eyes opened wide, "You have to explain that one."

I shrugged, "I'm a Bounty Hunter back home and some of my skips have been exhibitionists. Not to mention the crazies that have tried to use their nether regions to issue threats. Plus I've had relationships with two alpha males who would impress anyone. A little thing like he has is nothing."

"A Bounty Hunter? You go after bad guys?"

Hector smiled, "She has 100% capture rate."

Casey whistled and shook his head. He had a sudden thought that made his eyes gleam. Hector asked, "What you thinking?"

Casey looked at both of us and grinned, "I'm thinking if Rand tries to take you on he's going to bite off more than he can chew."

Hector laughed. "You don't know half. Your brother goes after Stephanie, he have to deal with all us."

Casey's eyes widened, "I might enjoy this. I'd like to see big brother come up against something he can't control."

We continued walking and shopping. When we finally returned to the hotel, we decided to eat at the hotel restaurant. We ordered Jumbo Dungeness Crab and Shrimp Cake with crab lemongrass sauce and tomato jam, King Crab Risotto with fava beans, candied cherry tomatoes, meyer lemon, micro basil and artichoke emulsion, the Smoked Salmon and Asparagus with baby frisee, aioli, shaved manchego, soft boiled egg, crisp prosciutto and pharoahs lemon vinegar, as well as the Lobster Mac & Cheese loaded with lobster and a 6 cheeses sauce for our appetizers. We shared the dishes and each of them were delicious. For our main course, I ordered the Pan Roasted Halibut with chipoline onions, asparagus lardons, artichokes and cherry heirloom tarragon salad. Hector ordered the Apricot Glazed Duroc Pork Shank with celery root mash, english peas, caramelized apples, butter braised cabbage and apricot pecan sauce. Casey ordered the Sauteed King Salmon with sea salt, roasted lemon and castelvetrano olives. All the food was delicious.

When we finished, I sat back and said, "It's a good thing we've done so much walking or I'd be two sizes bigger by now. Hector and Casey laughed. Casey replied, "You always get the small portion so that helps."

I asked, "Do you think we could take in a Mariners game?"

Casey nodded, "I think they are playing tomorrow. We could take in their afternoon game and in the morning we could take in the Museum Of Flight."

Hector nodded, his eyes were dancing, "Sounds good."

We headed up to our suite and turned in for the night.

_Menu was googled. Any mistakes are mine. Chicago had the decorated cows and Seattle had the cast iron pigs. The ones I mentioned are ones I remember from the trip. (It's been 10 years and my memory might be off on the one in SWAT black). Although there is a Rainier Square Mall, I don't think there is a Victoria Secrets there, but Stephanie needed to complete her ensemble so I took poetic license. The incident when they are walking and run into the guy on the picnic table is a true incident that happened to me as I was walking through the market with my best friend and her cousin. If you're ever in Seattle, I highly recommend going to Pike's Place Market and watching them throw the fish. Its awesome! There are a few more chapters that will take place in Seattle. Don't worry though, they will get back to Trenton eventually._


	11. A New Development

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_I'd like to thank Financebabe for planting the idea of doing a story where Hector finds his own love._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **__Special thanks to the reviewer who asked how Casey was able to spend so much time with them and wondered what his job was. Oops!_

Chapter 11: A New Development

Stephanie's POV:

We were up and ready to head out at 8 a.m. We stopped at Tully's for breakfast. As we were eating I said, "When we go back to Trenton I'm going to miss coming here for breakfast."

Casey looked down at his coffee and asked, "When are you two heading back?"

Hector put a hand on his arm and said, "Not for while."

I bit my lip and debated asking but decided to go ahead and ask, "What kind of work do you do Casey? I mean, you've been spending so much time with us and I haven't even bothered to ask if its interfering with your job."

Casey looked at me and gave a half smile, "I just graduated with my Master's in Architecture. I am taking a few weeks off."

I smiled, "So then you are free to spend our vacation with us."

Casey nodded. "If you guys don't mind."

Hector squeezed his hand. "We like"

"So Casey, how old are you?"

"I'm 25. It took me 2 years longer to get my degree because I worked full time while going to school."

I smiled, "There's nothing wrong with that. Are you looking for jobs in this area or would you consider moving elsewhere?"

Casey looked at Hector, "I would be willing to relocate if there was a reason."

I saw the way Hector looked at Casey then and smiled to myself. I was glad I had asked the question after all. We finished our breakfast and then headed to the Museum of flight. There was a collection of over 150 historic air and spacecraft and related artifacts in unique exhibits. Hector's eyes were lit as we walked around the museum. There was an older model 707 Air Force One from the Eisenhower to Nixon era. There was a Concorde supersonic airliner donated by British Airways, one of only 20 Concordes ever built and the only one on display on the West Coast as well as one of the 4 outside of Europe.

I followed the guys to a 737 US Air Boeing. We entered going to the business class where they showed a feature _Time Flies: A Century of Flight_. We moved from there to a Bell "Huey" UH-1H Iroquois. They participated in the largest helicopter assault in the Viet Nam War. Then we learned about a group of pilots that helped develop the Alaska Territory by flying into remote areas. These pilots were referred to as Bush Pilots. Next we had fun with the flight simulators. We had our choice between a WWII dogfight, hang glider, or landing on the moon. Of course I tried out the dogfighting and by the time it ended my eyes were firmly closed. I had just stepped out when a man in a suit walked up to us and asked to shake my hand. I looked at him puzzled and he smiled. He asked me where I learned to fly. When I told him I'm just a passenger his eyes widened in shock. He was surprised to learn that I wasn't a pilot and expected me to tell him I was a military pilot because he said I had the highest simulator score on record. My eyes widened in surprise and he agreed to get me a copy to take with me.

Hector grinned as he looked at me and shook his head and Casey chuckled. We went on to look over a HH-52 _Seaguard _which was on display. It was credited with saving over 15,000 lives with its use by the US Coast Guard. We went on the Memorial Bridge where there were sounds of aviation and space exploration, and we learned about local historical landmarks in the neighborhood of the Museum. Then of course in the Museum lobby there was The Montgolfier Brother's Balloon. The Museum had a 1/10 scale of the balloon that carried the humans aloft in the first free flight. When we left the Museum, Hector wrapped me in his arms and hugged me to him, thanking me for asking him along on my vacation. Then he hugged Casey and I noticed Casey was reluctant to let him go when the hug ended.

We stopped at Pizzeria Pulcinella when we left the museum. We each ordered Lasagna alla Napoletana which was pasta with seasoned ground beef and ricotta with marinara and Mozzarella as our main course, as well as a 12" Capri pizza with roasted red pepper sauce, Mozzarella, _sausage_, and oven roasted Portabellos. For our appetizers were chose the Fresh Mozzarella and Prosciutto which was moist cheese wrapped with cured Italian Ham, and then we also ordered Eggplant Parmigiana which was layers of Eggplant, provolone, fresh basil, Marinara and Mozzarella. Then for dessert we ordered homemade cream puffs filled with rich whipped cream and topped with dark chocolate sauce and Cannoli which was lightly sweet ricotta with chocolate chips that filled two crisp pastry shells.

Once we were done eating it was time to head to the stadium for the baseball game. We got excellent seats and Hector sat between Casey and me. We had a blast! Everyone around us was rooting for the Mariners and wouldn't you know it, they were playing the Yankees. When the Yankee batter hit a grand slam, I jumped up cheering and suddenly noticed it was totally silent around me. I sat back down and shot glances at the people around us. Hector was silently shaking with laughter and Casey was openly laughing. The Yankees ended up winning 7 to 4. We left the ballpark and headed to Maggie Bluff's.

We had to wait for nearly an hour before we could get into the restaurant they were that busy. Once we finally got in and seated, I was starving. We ordered a Hot Crab & Artichoke appetizer which was served with sliced onion, parmesan and toasted crostinis. We all decided on the Simply Grilled Salmon which was lightly seasoned and topped with mango salsa and served with rice and green beans and we got one order of the Clams in Coconut Red Curry Broth with fresh lemongrass and Thai Red Curry. For dessert I got the Chocolate Layer Cake served warm with ice cream, Casey got the Key Lime Pie and Hector got the Toasted Coconut Cream Pie. All three were delicious.

As we were leaving the restaurant I got an uneasy feeling in my stomach. I paused for a minute and looked around. Hector noticed and put his hand at my waist. "You okay?"

I bit my lip, "I feel like someone is watching us."

He scanned the area without seeming to move. His eyes narrowed in an area of to the side. Softly he said, "We go someplace safe."

We made our way to the car; not seeming like we were in a hurry yet aware there might be someone out there watching. Hector took the keys from Casey and drove. We made so many turns and twists that I was lost after 10 minutes. Once Hector was satisfied we weren't being followed he headed the car back to the hotel.

_Meanwhile:_

Unknown POV:

I watched and waited as they ate their meal. I couldn't believe my luck to find the kid this easy. I had just finished eating when I saw them arrive. I smiled at my good fortune. I had been searching for the past few days and hadn't picked up a trace of him. It was as if he had fallen off the face of the Earth. I didn't know why she wanted me to snatch him, but she was paying good money so I wasn't asking questions. I wasn't sure how I was going to accomplish what she wanted done to him yet. I'm not into guys and I avoid places where I might run into someone of that persuasion. Maybe if I just roughed him up that would work. She wanted him screaming when she called the brother. She wanted the brother to know he was the reason the boy was being tortured and killed.

It didn't matter to me as long as I got the money promised to me. I already had half and it was deposited in my international account. My thoughts were interrupted when they came out of the restaurant. I was just getting ready to move to my vehicle when I noticed the female stop and look around. The Mexican put his hand on her waste and I got cold chills running down my back. I took a relieved breath when they moved for the car. The Mexican got in and drove and I hurried to my car and was right behind them but not close enough to be detected. I couldn't believe this guy. I was beginning to wonder if he even knew where he was going because we were making so many turns and twists that all of a sudden I had no clue where they were. I couldn't find them anywhere. I hit the steering wheel and made my way back to my apartment in Queen Anne. I'd start again tomorrow in looking for the kid. Damn! A perfect opportunity shot to hell!

_Again the menus were googled. The words in italics were added in and not part of the real menu. The information on the Museum of Flight was googled as well and much of the wording is from the site._


	12. Rand's Surprise

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **__Special thanks to the reviewer who asked how Casey was able to spend so much time with them and wondered what his job was. Oops!_

Chapter 12: Rand's Surprise

Rand's POV:

I left Snoqualmie Falls and headed back to Seattle. Since I had lost them, I figured I might as well go into the office and send out the search so I could find out who the hell those two were. I parked in my usual spot and stalked into the building. There was the usual crew on today and I heard several of them call out but I ignored them wanting to get to my office and find answers. I slammed the door and sat in my chair. Once I got my computer on I started the search engines and plugged in the information. While I was waiting for the data to come in I got out the folder I was currently working on. I couldn't put my finger on it but there was something off.

I had used Jillian to get in with the right group. I waited till I no longer needed her to get rid of her. I shook my head and closed the folder. I leaned back and sighed. Damn! My eyes narrowed as I thought about what I had going on this week. I was close to the answers I was looking for, I could feel it. Tomorrow I was flying the group down to Mexico. It was the first time we were going below the boarder. I was hoping this would break the case wide open. I was busy working on a game plan for the next day when my phone rang. I lifted the receiver and was surprised to hear from the head of the whole branch. He demanded my presence in his office 5 minutes ago. I stood and made my way to his office and knocked on the door.

"Enter."

I opened the door and stepped inside, "You wanted to see me?"

"Who the hell did you piss off Rand?"

"What do you mean sir?"

"I just got a call from the director of the FBI. He called me on the carpet because of a search that came out of this office. I assured him that I knew nothing about a search and he assured me it came from here and he even pinpointed who was running the search. I don't know who you are investigating Rand but I am ordering you to cease and desist."

I frowned, "I can't see where they would be important enough to have someone like the director watching over them."

"I don't care who they are. I'm ordering you to stop."

I nodded, "Of course."

I stood and listened to my boss rant for another 20 minutes and then made my way back to my office. Just as I was standing to leave there was a knock on my door. I opened the door to find my sometimes partner standing there. I smiled, "What's up Heather?"

She smiled and walked into the room. Heather was what is commonly known as a blonde bombshell. She stood 5' 10" tall with a sleek models frame. Her brown eyes were smoky and she had a lovely face. If we didn't work together, Heather would have been in my bed ten seconds after I met her. She was just my type. I had a policy about dating people I worked with though. Heather sat down and I went over and leaned against the front of my desk.

Heather smiled, "I saw you had come in and was just wondering how the case was going?"

I shrugged, "Its coming along. I'm flying them down to Mexico tomorrow. I'm hoping it will crack the case wide open."

Heather laughed, "You always did have the best luck. Well, I have a _hot_ date tonight. Are you still seeing Jillian?"

"No. I got rid of her earlier today."

She shook her head, "You're nothing if not predictable Rand. No female lasts long with you does she?"

I smiled, "Women have their uses, but I'm not interested in a long term relationship."

Heather gave me a once over and said, "What a waste." and with that she sauntered out of the room.

I waited a few minutes and then left my office and headed out of the building. As I passed Heather's office I noticed she was talking on the phone. As I neared the office she paused and gave me a glance before going back to her conversation. Once outside I walked to my car and headed to my apartment. As I drove I wondered again who the two people around Casey were and why the director of the FBI would be ordering me to stop my investigation of them.

The trip to Mexico proved to be a dead end. It was like they were always one step ahead of me. I set up another trip, this time to British Columbia. We were taking a Catamaran to make the trip and there would be other people around. Not an ideal trip and too many chances of innocents getting hurt. I had a couple days to do damage control though so maybe it wouldn't be as bad. I stopped and picked up a pizza on my way home and tried Casey on the phone. When it went right to voice mail I figured he was still with the others and his phone was turned off. I regretted suggesting he take the summer off to recharge his batteries. I had a couple places I was hoping to get him into a job with but the openings wouldn't happen for a few weeks. With any luck his new friends would be leaving soon and once again Casey would be safe.

I got up early on Saturday morning and dressed in the clothes necessary for the assignment I was on. I knew I looked like I was running guns or drugs, that's the image I needed to project. I headed downstairs and made my way to my destination. I checked in and noticed my contacts were already there and seated. As we were sitting there waiting for the ferry that was going to take us to British Columbia, who should walk in but Casey and the two unknowns. Shit! Just what I didn't need. When we boarded, I noticed luck wasn't on my side. Casey and his friends were joining my ride.

As we got underway the Captain came on over the loud speaker and announced we were going behind the island as there were gale force winds out today. I closed my eyes momentarily and wondered what else could go wrong. I managed to stay off Casey's radar on the trip over and gave a sigh of relief. The guys I was dealing with were bad news and I didn't want them anywhere near Casey.

Stephanie's POV:

We woke early the next day because we were taking a ferry over to British Columbia. We had eaten breakfast at Tully's and arrived to pick up our tickets for the ferry. Since the incident the night before, both Hector and I were more aware of our surroundings. As we were waiting to board the ferry, I felt a tingling all over. I looked around expecting to see Ranger. Hector noticed and asked what was wrong. I shook my head and softly told him I thought Ranger might be close by. Hector looked around and then leaned close and said that Casey's brother was here but he wasn't dressed right. I looked around and noticed Rand then. When my eyes landed on him the tingling got stronger. _Shit! _There was no way I wanted that kind of reaction to him.

I sat up and casually asked Casey what kind of work his brother did. Casey turned to face me and grinned. His voice was barely a whisper when he told us, "He works for some agency. Top secret."

I turned to Hector and he lifted an eyebrow. I sighed. Figures. I was betting Rand was undercover for some reason. I lost sight of him when we boarded the Catamaran but shortly before we docked in British Columbia I saw him again. I was determined not to let him ruin my day. We got off and made our way to a double decker bus that was going to take us to The Butchart Gardens. It was obvious from the time we arrived that Casey was in his element. The way he talked made me wonder if being an architect was really what he truly wanted to do with his life. He seemed to have a flare for the artistic. He commandeered my camera and was busy snapping away.

We stopped at the restaurant for lunch. When Hector and Casey ordered Caesar Salad with fresh herb grissino and shaved Reggiano cheese, I wrinkled my nose. Casey laughed and reached out his hand to my cheek. I couldn't help but smile and then I told the waiter no rabbit food for me, I wanted the Smoked Salmon Flatbread with fresh grilled naan, lemon dill cream cheese Capers and pickled red onions. The waiter went to put in our appetizer order and get our drinks. When he returned he asked if we had made our selections for our meal. I told him I wanted the Dungeness Crab "Mac & Cheese" with Parmesan and fontina cheese, Serpentini noodles, crab, and tarragon. Casey ordered the Wild B.C. Salmon with a salad of wild rice, feta, corn, cherry tomatoes and edamame Cucumber citrus yogurt. Hector chose the Charbroiled Rib-Eye Burger with a special ketchup and Kennebec Fries.

We had a great time talking while we ate. We learned Casey did in fact love taking photos and painting. He called them hobbies but the passion with which he talked about them told another story. Hector told him about his job at Rangeman…well, to a certain degree. He might have left out a detail or two. When the waiter came back to see if we wanted dessert, I rolled my eyes and told him that of course we wanted dessert. I choose the Wild Blueberry Cobbler with vanilla bean gelato. Hector chose the Chilled Raspberry Rhubarb Consomme with Prosecco gelee, and kiwi semifreddo. Casey chose the Chocolate Coconut Mille-Feuille with flourless chocolate bark and Blackberry liqueur ganache. Once we finished dessert, we headed back out to the garden and walked around some more. I got a strange feeling we were being watched and I reached out and took Hector's hand, squeezing to let him know something was up. He turned and smiled at me, giving a nod to let me know he understood. He told us he wanted to get one of the brochures from the restaurant and would be right back.

Casey and I continued touring the garden and I kept my eyes open to see if I could pinpoint what was bothering me. Hector rejoined us several minutes later and suggested we head back to the bus since it was nearly time to leave. We reached the pick-up point just as the bus was pulling up to load. We entered the bus and took our seats. Hector whispered in my ear that the problem had been neutralized. I was kinda worried I knew what that meant and just hoped we got out of here before anything was discovered. Just as the bus was about to pull away we were stopped and a police officer stepped onto the bus and walked down the aisle. I forced myself not to react as he walked towards us. I could feel myself shaking on the inside as he stopped beside us. He motioned to Hector and asked if he had a passport. Hector pulled out his passport and handed it to the policeman. He studied it for several minutes and then handed it back. Just as he turned to me another policeman got on the bus and called for the first one. He quickly made his way off the bus and as he stepped off, he told the driver to go ahead.

I took a deep breath and turned to ask Hector, "He was studying your passport a long time, what do you think he was looking for?"

Hector shrugged, "Not sure. Its good Angel. No worries."

I met his gaze and something in the way he was looking at me let me know that they weren't aware of exactly who he was. We made the rest of the trip in quiet conversation. When we got off the bus, we decided to head over to The Empress Hotel. We did The Royal Tea Experience. As well as the tea served, a new tea tier of three delectable cheeses from the famous cheese makers of Salt Spring Island served with a tawny port and a fresh serving of honey out of the honeycombs of the Chef's honey garden served at the table. It was wonderful. Once we finished our tea it was time to head out and do some shopping. We went into several stores and had the best time. When it was time to head back to the ferry, we were all ready to head back. The trip back was just as choppy as the ride over. Apparently that's how gale force winds affected a catamaran. I noticed Rand several times on the way back to Seattle. Something about the way he would glance our way and smile mockingly told me he had something to do with the policeman who had entered the bus.

When we got back into port in Seattle we stood and made our way towards the exit. I felt the tingling I'd felt earlier and looked around to see Rand near us. Hector and Casey were ahead of me and I suddenly found myself being pulled back to bump into Rand's chest. His hand was around my upper arm and he was smiling but it wasn't a nice smile. He looked me up and down and then his eyes met mine.

His voice was soft and icy as he spoke, "Make no mistake, I will find out just who you are and what your interest is in my brother."

I rolled my eyes at him and replied, "Our interest in your brother is he's a wonderful person and we've become great friends. If you're too much of an ass to realize what a great person your brother is then that's your loss Thorton Connor." With that my knee came up and as Rand bent over in pain I pulled my arm out of his grasp and walked away. When I reached Hector and Casey they were waiting for me with huge smiles on their faces laughing.

_The food they ate was taken off menus found for those places on-line. The description of the tea at the hotel is from the googled source. I hope I have answered some of your questions. _


	13. Prey Found

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **__Special thanks to the reviewer who asked how Casey was able to spend so much time with them and wondered what his job was. Oops!_

Chapter 13: Prey Found

Stephanie's POV:

It was late when we got back to the hotel and I for one was glad we had a late English Tea before leaving British Columbia because I was too tired to take time eating before heading to bed. Before we turned in, Casey suggested we visit the Olympic Mountains and Mount St. Helens the next day. Hector was excited about the exercise and I thought it would be a great chance to add to the photos I'd already taken. When I crawled into bed that night, I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I woke up at 6 in the morning and groaned because I knew I wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep. I slipped out of bed and went through my usual morning ritual. Once I was dressed in blue jeans, hiking boots, and an olive green top, I headed out to the sitting room to see if Hector and Casey were ready. When I walked out, Hector grabbed his chest and pretended to fall back onto the sofa in a faint. I rolled my eyes and lightly punched his shoulder before we grabbed our gear and headed out.

Of course the first place we stopped was Tully's. They had fresh scones that had just come out of the oven. I chose a Boston Cream scone and got my usual Mocha. Hector picked a raspberry cream cheese scone and regular coffee, and Casey got a Cranberry scone and regular coffee. Once we had finished, we started the trip to the Olympic National Park. We had a chance to talk on the way to the park. Casey told us about growing up with his brother after his parents died. He also told us how his parents died. Rand had been home on leave from the military and had arranged to take Casey on a weekend camping trip. While the two boys were gone, someone had broken into their parent's home and murdered both of them. Nothing had been taken that they could see and the police called it a random act of violence. Rand had arranged for a hardship discharge so he could keep his 10 year old brother with him. He got a job as a construction worker during the day and took classes at night. At 20 years of age he took on the responsibilities of an older adult.

Casey told us how his brother put his dreams on hold to make sure he had a stable home life. He mentioned a woman his brother started dating when Casey was 13 and Rand 23. How whenever Rand was around she was sweet to him, but the minute it was just the two of them she turned into the wicked witch of the west. Casey related how Rand came home early one afternoon when Bridgette had agreed to watch Casey and make a meal for the three of them. When Rand walked in, Bridgette was screeching at Casey that as soon as Rand put a wedding ring on her finger he would be shipped off to a boarding school as far away from them as possible.

Rand was furious. He stalked over to Bridgette and told her there would be no ring. He threw her out of the house and told her not to come back. She'd pled with Rand that she didn't mean it and she loved him but he would hear nothing from her. Finally in a rage she swore to get even if it was the last thing she did. As he related the story, I felt cold chills racing down my spine. Casey said Rand switched jobs about then and started working for the agency that he still worked for. He couldn't say what agency that was though.

Hector regaled Casey with more stories about my car explosions, skip chasing, and crazies. As we reached our destination, we decided to stop at Jack in the Box to pick up food for a picnic. Casey pulled into a parking space and we headed inside. We got burgers, chicken sandwiches, tacos, as well as desserts and drinks. Casey stowed the food in a picnic basket in the back seat and we continued into the park. We found a parking space and hiked up on the mountain. When we reached our destination we dug into the food supply. As we ate, I found myself looking around at the beauty around us. There were _"glacier capped mountains, wild Pacific coast, and magnificent stands of old-growth forests, including temperate rain forests. About 95% of the park is designated wilderness. The Olympic Peninsula has developed its own distinct array of plants and animals. Eight kinds of plants and 15 kinds of animals are found here but nowhere else on Earth." _Once we had demolished the food and had our fill of the incredible sights before us, we threw away the trash and headed back down.

We piled into the car and Casey drove us to the Mount St. Helens Monument. We parked, getting out and walking around. It was weird standing and looking at the mountain. It didn't seem as majestic as Rainier when we'd gone to Sunrise. I was struck by the fact this was a volcano that erupted 5 months before I was born. _"On May 18, 1980, Mount Saint Helens erupted. Shaken by an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale, the north face of the mountain collapsed in an astounding rock debris avalanche. Almost 230 square miles of forest was blown down or buried beneath volcanic deposits almost instantly. A mushroom shaped column of ash rose thousands of feet in the air and drifted downwind, turning day into night over Eastern Washington and beyond. The eruption lasted 9 hours, but Mount St. Helens and the surrounding landscape were dramatically changed within moments."_ I wrapped my arms around my waist as I felt a chill race down my spine. So much destruction within a matter of seconds; I wondered what it must have been like for the people living here at the time.

We made our way back to the car and headed back towards Seattle. Casey made a detour to Bainbridge Island and stopped at San Carlos Restaurant. As we were walking inside I looked over to Hector and told him I was trusting him to get me back to the hotel safely because I intended to have a couple Margaritas. I asked him if he remembered the cure and he said "Si." We were shown to a table in the back that would give Hector a perfect seat. Just the way the Merry Men liked, back to the wall and clear view of the doors and windows. The waitress came over and handed us menus before rattling something off in Spanish. Hector replied and she smiled and walked away.

Casey was looking at Hector with wide eyes and a bemused look. Hector shrugged, "She ask if we want chips and salsa. I tell her si."

I smiled and said, "Good to know. Can you ask her for guacamole when she comes back?"

He nodded and when she returned to set our chips and salsa on the table he relayed the message. She left to get the requested item and we looked over the menu. She was back before I had a chance to more than glance at the menu and I grumbled about somebody having speedy feet. Hector said something and the woman was laughing heartily. She stood about 5' and was built like Lula. I put her age to be somewhere in her 50's. She smiled at me and rattled off something, I looked to Hector for help and he grinned telling me he'd tell me later. I gave him my best Burg glare and the woman threw her head back and started laughing again.

I asked for a Margarita and Casey and Hector ordered mineral water and coffee. I took a chip and dipped it into the guacamole before taking a bite and moaning in pleasure at the wonderful taste. When the waitress returned to take our food order, I chose the Smoked Salmon Enchilada and 2 Guacamole Tacos. Casey ordered 2 Herbed Crab Chimichangas, and Hector ordered the Fajita Burrito with pork carnitas, in one and seafood in the other. Both came with fajita sauce, black beans and sour cream. The food was excellent and I was feeling quite a buzz by the time we had finished our meal. As we stood to leave I felt myself leaning to the side. Casey shook his head and said something to Hector about my only having 2 Margaritas. Hector grinned and told him that was all it took because I was a lightweight when it came to drinking. I tried to glare but wasn't sure which one of the four of them to glare at.

As we were walking out of the restaurant I ran right smack into Rand's chest. His arms came out reflexively and wrapped around me. I suddenly felt like I was hot and started fanning my hand in front of my face. Rand's tone was mocking as he said, "Well, well. Looks like little Susie sunshine is drunk on her ass."

I put my hands on his shoulders to steady myself so hopefully the sky would stop spinning. His hands settled at my waist. I ran my tongue over my bottom lip tasting the salt from the Margarita and moaned. Rand's eyes darkened and his head lowered fractionally before I heard Casey say, "Leave her alone Rand. She's not one of your throw away toys."

I felt myself being pulled back from Rand's arms and suddenly felt much cooler. I shivered with the change in temperature and smiled at Rand, giving him a finger wave. "Maybe some other time Thorton. See you around."

I thought I saw Rand's eyes narrow in anger at my use of his first name but didn't worry about it too much. I had two guys on my side and I knew Hector was more than capable of protecting me. As we walked to the car I put my head on Casey's shoulder and whispered, (well actually said rather loudly) "Your brother is one hot guy. Too bad he's so stuck on himself he comes off as an asshole."

Casey and Hector started shaking with silent laughter and I thought I heard a growl from somewhere behind us. I don't remember much of the drive back to the hotel because I seemed to have fallen asleep. When I woke up I was lying in my bed and the light was shining in on me making my eyes hurt. Before I could fully open my eyes I was aware Bongo drums were screeching in my head and I felt like I had a 5 alarm migraine. I moaned in pain and fell back onto the mattress. I heard someone open the door and make their way over to the bed.

"Just shoot me now and put me out of my misery."

"Wake Stephanie. I bring cure."

I blindly reached out and Hector took my hand and put it on the fries. I grabbed a handful and stuffed them into my mouth. Once I had them chewed and swallowed, he put a straw in my mouth and I took a long drink. I opened my eyes a slit and continued eating till I had finished the fries and coke. I felt marginally better already and knew by the time I finished showering I would feel totally human again. Hector told me he would wait in the sitting room for me to come out. I headed into the shower. When I joined them, I noticed there were more McDonald's sacks. Hector handed me one and I pulled out another fries and Big Mac. He handed me another coke and I sat down to eat.

"So, what do we do today?"

Both of them sat there smiling at me. I frowned, "What?"

Casey coughed, "Gee Steph, how would you like to meet my older brother? He's hot, but so stuck on himself he's an asshole."

My eyes widened in horror. I looked to Hector and he nodded. I bent forward and placed my head in my hands and groaned in embarrassment. Hector patted me on the back and told me he'd protect me. I shook my head and replied at least Rand had no idea who we were. After I got over my embarrassment, I asked the guys again what the plan was for the day. Casey pointed out it was after 11 a.m. so half the day was nearly over. He suggested walking around Queen Anne. There were some great views from there. Hector and I agreed and we decided to walk to the Seattle Center and catch the bus. It didn't take us long to reach the bus stop and we had less than 10 minutes to wait for a bus. The ride was short but I was glad we had ridden the bus because to try and walk it would have been a climb uphill. Although I was in better shape from all the walking and hiking we had been doing, I knew I would never have made it up the hill to Queen Anne.

We got off the bus and I noticed there was a high school on the corner. We headed towards Main Street where the shops were. I put a hand to my stomach and looked around trying to figure out why I suddenly had the feeling we were in danger. I turned to Hector and was relieved he had noticed my reaction. His eyes were diligently taking in our surroundings.

Unknown POV:

I was pissed when I got home and received the phone call from her. When she heard I had him in my sights but lost him, she was furious. She screeched at me for 15 minutes before telling me to find him again and do as she had asked or she'd take me out permanently. I wasn't putting it past her not to have a plan in motion to take me out once I completed the job anyway. I had an insurance policy in place though. I had a letter written out and addressed to the brother to be delivered if anything happened to me. It detailed everything.

I spent a few days spinning my wheels. I couldn't find any sign of him. When I got up this morning I had decided if I couldn't locate him today I was going to quit. I'd tell her about the letter and watch my back. I had just finished a pizza for lunch and was sitting at my kitchen table when I saw the bus pull up. I smiled. Look it there. Who should step off the bus but the very person I am looking for. I hurried and got my gear together and raced down the stairs. In no time I was shadowing them and forming a plan so this would end the way I wanted for it to end.

_The text between quotation marks is word for word from the source googled about the Olympic Mountains and Mt. St. Helens. Not sure how many of you are old enough to remember when Mt. St. Helens erupted. When we rode the Amtrak train from Seattle to Emeryville, California in 2001, you could still see the areas where ash had fallen all those years before. If I remember right there were some wonderful flowers that grew up from where the ash had landed. The menus have once again been googled. Sorry to make so many of you hungry, but food is often talked about in the books as well. I must admit that some of the menus have so many wonderful sounding items that they tend to go overboard frequently. However, like Casey said, Steph only orders small portions. I want to thank all of you for your patience in allowing them their time in Seattle. There are a few more things for them to do and to happen before they make the trip back home. The time is getting close though. _


	14. Reality In Nightmares

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **__Special thanks to the reviewer who asked how Casey was able to spend so much time with them and wondered what his job was. Oops! By the way M, I see you poking around in my mind. No fair. Had to laugh when I got your latest review. You'll see why soon._

Chapter 14: Reality In Nightmares

Casey's POV:

I was dreading the day Hector would tell me they would be leaving. I didn't want him to go. I was completely in love with him and couldn't picture my life without him. Stephanie had asked if I would consider relocating and I had said if there was a reason I would be happy to. I hoped Hector wanted me with him for longer than just his vacation. I didn't know how I would get past if he didn't feel the same way. The way he made love to me made me believe I was special to him as well though.

Whether my thoughts before going to sleep led to the dream or it was just time to pop up again, I don't know. But I remembered the time just before Rand came back on military leave. Aunt Portia Parkington came to stay with us for a few days. She was a robust woman about 5'9" tall with graying brown hair and icy gray eyes. She always looked impeccable. She was always watching me. When her hands touched me I would get shivers down my back. I didn't like her but I was always polite because momma was a great teacher. Company was always to be treated well. Aunt Portia was her oldest sister.

On this visit though I overheard momma yelling at aunt Portia to get out of her house and never come back. She told Portia she would never get her hands on her family. I watched from my hiding place as aunt Portia stormed through the house before stopping at the front door. Her smile was more of a sneer as she said, "You've made a mistake Carrie. No one denies me what I want and gets away with it. You'll regret this. I promise you that." She turned to leave but her eyes seemed to look right at me where I was hiding and her sneering smile grew as her eyes seemed to glow.

I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder and soft, soothing Spanish words comforting me. I felt loved. Slowly, as if afraid Portia still lingered I opened my eyes to see the man I loved more than anything close beside me. I wrapped my arms around him and clung. He probed gently until I had told him all about the incident. When I finally had it under control we got up and dressed. It was later than usual for us to be getting up. Hector said we needed to go to McDonald's and get the cure for Stephanie. As we walked over to the one closest to the hotel, Hector told me about Steph's cure. When we got back to the hotel, he grabbed one of the cokes we got her and a fries and took them into her bedroom. When he came back out and said she'd be with us soon I just smiled and shook my head. I'd never known anyone who was such a lightweight when it came to drinking.

Once we finished eating, we walked down to the bus stop near the Seattle Center and got on about 10 minutes later when the bus arrived. We stepped off when the bus stopped near the high school in Queen Anne.

Stephanie's POV:

We walked down to the main street of the community and took a right. We went into the stores and looked around. There was a little coffee shop and we stopped in to get a coffee. It was the best Mocha I'd ever tasted, even better than Tully's. It didn't take long to check out the stores. We headed back to the other side and wandered in and out of the stores on that side as well. We decided to eat at Pete's Pizza. I was excited to see they had Italian Meatball with Melted Cheese Sandwiches so I ordered one. Hector and Casey both got Calzones. Hector got the Siciliana with Italian sausage, meatball and ricotta cheese, and Casey got the Greek with spinach, tomatoes, onions, kalamata olives and feta cheese. The food was delicious. Once we finished we continued walking down the street and came upon an ice cream shop. We went in and each ordered an ice cream cone. We left the store with our treat and continued to walk as we ate our ice cream.

We came upon a lovely park. There was a magnificent view of the Space Needle and you could even see Mt. Rainier in the distance. Casey took my camera and directed Hector in several shots before doing the same to me. Then he posed us together for several more shots. I finally went over and held my hand out. Casey grinned before handing it over and then I directed him and Hector into several shots. Once we had finished with the pictures, we stood and watched for quite some time. Everything looked so very close from here. Casey told us the park's name was Kerry Park. After a time, we decided we needed to head back towards the bus stop and so we started walking once again.

We were nearly to the bus stop when the feeling that something was wrong returned. I touched Hector's arm and he nodded. Suddenly, there in front of us was a man in his 40's with a thinning hair line and hard gray eyes. He had the kind of face I'd gotten used to seeing everyday back in Jersey. He stepped closer and pulled a gun. Before I could react he had my hand and was ordering us to come with him if we wanted to live. My eyes rolled, geez, who did this guy think he was dealing with? If we went with him our chances of living would definitely go down. I stepped in closer to him and my knee came up. He dropped my hand and Hector took over teaching him he had chosen the wrong people to mess with.

By the time Hector had him on the ground with his hands behind his back, a police car was pulling to the curb and two armed police officers were hurrying towards us with their guns drawn. We all raised our hands to let them know we weren't a threat. Casey explained what had happened. The officers took the man away and we continued on to the bus stop. I couldn't shake the feeling as we rode the bus back to the Seattle Center that this wasn't the last of this. Three times now there had been a reason for caution. I couldn't help but feel they were connected.

Once we got back to the hotel, we called it a night. I was pulled from sleep by deep cries of terror. I slipped out of bed and made my way to the other bedroom. I pushed the door open to see Hector holding Casey in his arms rocking him and speaking softly in Spanish. Hector motioned me forward and I gently sat on the bed and put a hand on Casey's shoulder. For a second he flinched as if he was afraid and then he settled and allowed Hector and I to comfort him. I listened as he told us about the dream he had. His aunt had tried to forcibly take him from his home. He tried to fight her but he wasn't strong enough.

Once Casey had calmed and was once again sleeping, Hector told me of the dream Casey had the night before and what he'd told him of the aunt's last visit. Something was bothering me, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I kissed Hector's tear drops and left him to watch over Casey. I headed back to bed but was unable to go back to sleep. Finally giving up, I got up and got my laptop out and carried it back over to the bed. I turned it on and while I waited for it to get ready, I picked up my phone and pressed a familiar number.

I knew I'd woken him up by the sound of his voice. "Yo."

"Yo yourself."

"What's up Babe?"

I paused, biting my lip for a minute, debating what I should share. I sighed, "I'm having a great time. Hector has handled everything that has come up. But, I have a feeling…."

I knew I had all his attention with that. "What happened?"

"I think we were being watched a few days ago, and then when we were in British Columbia someone was definitely following us, then today someone tried to make us go somewhere at gunpoint."

"Hector handled it you said?"

"Yes. But I feel like there is something we are missing. I think there might be more to this and I don't think its going to stop."

"Do you need more backup?"

"I trust Hector."

"So do I Babe. I can still send more backup."

I paused. I did trust Hector, as much as I trusted Ranger. I just had a feeling we were going to need more help. I sighed and jumped in at the deep end, "I can't help feeling we are all in danger and we'll need all the help we can get by the time this is done. I need to look some things up but I'm not even sure what I'm searching for."

"Talk to me Babe. I'll put Rodriguez on helping you find your answers."

I told Ranger about all I had learned about Casey. I couldn't help feeling it was the main reason for what was going on. By the time I got finished talking it was nearly 7 a.m. and Ranger had given me a couple of bits of information to search for and told me Rodriguez would have more for me in an email soon. I smiled as I thanked him and told him goodbye.

Ranger replied, "Don't go crazy Babe. We'll get on top of this. Be careful and watch your back."

"Thanks Ranger. Be careful and don't get shot."

I disconnected the call and looked at what I had on my laptop. My eyes narrowed and I wondered what this had to do with what was happening now. I wondered if Rand might have some answers and how I could talk to him without worrying Casey. I shook my head and closed the laptop before heading into the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day.

_Okay, so will the bad guy get released and try again? Which one of the ladies do you think is behind it now? What will the results of Stephanie's talk with Ranger be? Will he send backup? Who will he send? Now's your chance to put in for who you'd like to see come to help them, if anyone does. I'm not sure how many chapters they will remain in Seattle for, I know 2 more but not sure after that, so they are getting closer to going home. Another question, will Rand run into the Merry Men or Ranger? If they do, what will they think of each other? _

_Thank you Deanna for reminding me of Kerry Park. When I was in Seattle, we stayed in Queen Anne. At night we would go for walks and we usually wound up in Kerry Park. The view was magnificent. Everything looked so close. I took several pictures from this very park trying to get the best picture of The Space Needle and Mt. Rainier. On a clear day you could see so much. We were lucky while we were there because there were only a couple rainy days in the two weeks we were there each of those years. _


	15. A Friendly Surprise

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **__By the way M, you were close on some things. You'll see more in the next chapter._

Chapter 15: A Friendly Surprise

Stephanie's POV:

When we got up the next morning, Hector asked me what I wanted to do. I smiled and told him I wanted to go shopping. Both of the guys groaned but they gave in and we headed to Bellis Fair Mall in Bellingham. Of course, we stopped at Tully's for breakfast first. When we got to the mall I had a blast going in and out of the stores. At one point, Casey told us he would be right back and headed back into a jewelry store to make a purchase. I used the time to let Hector know I had called Ranger and he was sending us backup. I was telling him I trusted him to keep us safe when Hector put his hand on my arm and said he was glad I had asked Ranger for backup. He told me he felt better knowing there would be others watching my back because he had two loved ones to watch over.

By the time it was lunch time, I had made a huge dent into my charge card as well as my Macy's card. We went to Ivar's Seafood Restaurant for lunch. Hector told us to get a seat and he'd take the bags out to the car. Casey guided me to a table in the middle of the room, but I knew Hector would feel much better at the table in the back so I asked if he minded if we switched to that one. He shrugged and said it didn't matter to him. He helped me into my seat and had just sat down when Hector joined us. Hector smiled and told me I had made a good choice. When the waitress came over to ask what we wanted to drink, I chose a coke and the guys chose bottled water. While she went to get our drinks, we studied the menu so that we were ready to order when she returned.

When the waitress came back with our drinks she asked for our orders. I chose the Super Combo with 1 piece of fish, clams and baby prawns. Hector chose the spicy Cajun fish and chips and Casey chose the Halibut and chips. The food was really good and we all had a specialty dessert. When we finished we headed out and made our way to the Cascade Mall in Burlington. We did some more shopping and by the end of the day, I had enough Victoria Secrets underwear and accessories to be able to wear something new each day for a month. When we headed back to the car we were all ready to head back to the hotel.

We decided to stop at the Waterfront Seafood Grill. We parked the car at the hotel and walked over. When we were shown to our table I noticed the table beside us had the most beautiful sight I had seen in a while. I could see Hector smile as he noticed them too. My eyes met Ranger's and he motioned for us to join them. I spoke to our waiter and told him we would be joining the other table. Chairs were added so we could be seated. Ranger stood and pulled the chair next to him out. I sat down and Hector and Casey took the two seats on the opposite side of the table.

I smiled at the guys and asked, "So when did you guys arrive?"

Lester grinned and replied, "We landed a couple hours ago Beautiful. We booked into your hotel in the two suites suite next to yours and then spent some time walking around getting the lay of the land."

I leaned into Ranger and said, "Thanks for coming."

Ram grinned, "We all have our orders from the guys back home to make sure nothing happens to you."

Hal chimed in, "It was quite a contest to see who'd get to come."

Bobby grinned, "But some of us were obvious choices because of our unique skills."

I put my hand in Ranger's and he wrapped his hand around mine. "Have there been any new developments Babe?"

I shook my head. "No. We went shopping today and there was no sign of a tail. But then yesterday the man who tried to accost us was arrested." I could see Casey was confused as to what was going on so I decided to clue him in. "Hector and I think someone has been following us on two separate occasions besides what happened yesterday."

Casey's eyes narrowed, "You think someone is after you?"

I paused, looking to Hector. He took Casey's hand and told him, "No. We think target is you."

I noticed that all the guys took in the way Hector was with Casey. They took the opportunity to study him. Casey met Hector's gaze, "You think someone is after me?"

"Si."

Casey looked down at his hands before shaking his head, "Why would anyone target me?"

Ranger glanced at Hector and getting a nod he said, "You might be a pawn to use to get to someone else."

Casey's eyes widened and he froze, "Rand!" He turned to Hector, "I have to talk to my brother. Someone could be trying to get to him through me."

Hector nodded, "We call him back at hotel."

Our waiter came back over and asked for our drink order. We all chose coffee. I noticed Ranger and the guys were working on appetizers so they didn't have too much of a head start on us. We ordered Wicked Shrimp which was spicy hot with grilled bread. For our main course I ordered Grilled Prawn and Scallop Brochette with tomato, fresh herb, garlic and linguini. Hector and Casey ordered the Seafood Bacchanalia designed for two with grilled wild king salmon, steamed lobster tail, diver sea scallops, grilled prawns and red king crab leg. For dessert we ordered the large Emerald City Volcano which was baked Alaska, double chocolate and Bordeaux cherry ice cream, vanilla genoise, which was flamed tableside after sunset. We also ordered the Artisanal Cheeses with the Mt. Blanchard cheddar, Samish bay, WA (cow's milk), Cirrus Camembert, Port Townsend, WA (cow's milk), and Caveman Blue, Central Point, OR (cow's milk), with almonds, fig jam and la panzanella crackers.

Once the waiter had left with our order, I looked at the appetizer that the guys were working on and gave it a wistful look. Ranger chuckled and took a sampling of the platter and put it on a plate before setting it in front of me. I took my first bite and moaned with pleasure. The meal was outstanding and the dessert was enough to serve the entire table. By the time we had finished the meal, I was starting to get sleepy. We walked back to the hotel. Ranger took my hand in his and pulled me close. I was surprised the tingling I usually felt seemed to be gone. I no longer reacted to Ranger the way I had before we left Trenton. Ranger of course noticed and he smiled and leaned in to speak softly to me.

"He's a lucky man Babe."

I shook my head, "There isn't anyone else."

Ranger looked at me solemnly for a moment before smiling and we continued to walk in silence. Lester was playing twenty questions with Hector and Casey about where they met and got together. Casey answered his questions and Hector indulged Lester's curiosity. Once we reached the hotel, the guys went towards the stairs and I chose the elevator. Hector and Casey followed me as did Ranger. When we got to our suites, Ranger went into our suite and made sure it was safe before allowing us inside. He bumped fists with Hector and told us he would see us in the morning.

Once the door was closed, Casey let out his breath as if he had been holding it in for the past few minutes. "You work with those guys Hector?"

Hector smiled, "Si."

Casey shook his head, "Are they always like that? So intense?"

I couldn't help it, the laughter escaped and I sat down on the sofa with my arms wrapped around my waist. Casey frowned and asked, "What did I say that was funny?"

I pulled myself together and looked at Hector. He shrugged but nodded. "The guys are mild. Hector is the most intense of all the Rangemen except maybe Ranger."

Casey looked at Hector and his eyes widened. Hector smiled at him, "No worry. I protect you."

Casey shook his head and smiled. "You know, I get this impression that you are one bad ass dude, but for the life of me I can't be afraid of you. I love you man. With all that's in me I love you."

Hector's eyes darkened with emotion, "Si. I love you with all of me."

Casey lowered his eyes to his hands and took a deep breath, "When will you guys be leaving?"

Hector looked over to me and I shrugged. Hector put a hand on Casey's hands and their eyes met. Hector smiled, "I love you Casey. You come with us to Trenton when we go."

Casey's head lifted and there was a look of hope on his face. "You really mean it?"

Hector nodded, "Si. I afraid you not like real me. I have life you not know. But love for you is strong."

"My love for you is strong too Hector. I don't care what your past is."

I slipped out and went to my room so they could talk privately. I stripped down and got into bed. I lay there thinking about my reaction, or rather non-reaction to Ranger. I was sad in one sense because it meant my dreams were forever gone. Yet, I was glad that I was able to move on and find someone I could give my heart to. Then I frowned as I remembered my reaction to Rand. _Shit!_ Just my dumb luck to have that kind of reaction to the asshole.

Casey's POV:

I couldn't believe everything that Hector had told me of his past last night. He'd told me all about his gang days and what the tattoos stood for. He talked about his job and everything. It didn't matter. He could be a convicted murderer and I would still love him. We came to an agreement that we were a couple now and I was planning to move to Trenton when they left. I planned to move in with Hector. He had an apartment in the building where he worked. When we woke, I told him I thought I should call my brother and let him know about the possible danger. Hector agreed. I took out my phone and pressed the speed dial number for Rand.

"Hello?"

"Rand, this is Casey. I need to talk to you."

"What's up Case?"

"There have been some incidents lately. Two occasions of someone watching or following us and one of a guy jumping out and pulling a gun on us. My friends think whoever it is might be targeting me."

"More like they are trying to scam you."

"No Rand. The guy who pulled a gun on us was arrested. You can talk to him."

Rand paused. Just when I thought he was going to ignore what I said, he surprised me by saying, "I'll check into it. Watch your back."

"Don't worry. I have that covered."

Rand's POV:

I hung up from talking to Casey and headed to the police station. I found out Casey had been telling the truth about the man pulling a gun on him. Unfortunately, the man had killed the guard and escaped during the night and was now out there somewhere. I was furious as I strode towards the exit. Now I had the added problem of finding this creep before he hurt Casey. I bet those two who were with Casey had something to do with this and all I had to say is that if my brother got hurt in any way I'd make them wish they'd never been born. As I was leaving the police station, I saw someone I hadn't seen in months. I stopped stunned as I watched Ricardo Carlos Manoso, better known as Ranger walking towards the police station. I stood waiting for him to reach where I was standing.

When he stopped in front of me, I nodded to recognize him and said, "Ranger. Its been a long time."

Ranger nodded. "That it has Rand. What are you doing here?"

"My brother called to tell me of someone trying to accost him at gunpoint. He said the man was brought here and I wanted to see who it was and if I could find out what is happening."

"Any luck?"

I shook my head, "Unfortunately the man killed a guard and escaped last night."

Ranger shook his head, "That's a tough break. I wish you luck with it."

I nodded, "Thanks." I paused and then thought of the case that I was working on. "I'm working on a special case that has been going nowhere. We can't seem to find out anything with this group. Rumor is they are moving to Trenton soon. If that happens I'll be in your neck of the woods. I'd like to see what you could dig up on them."

Ranger narrowed his eyes and handed me a business card before replying, "Give me a call. I have someone who does searches for me off and on. She's the best I've seen. She might be able to dig something up for you."

My eyes widened in surprise, "You have a woman working for you? I never thought I'd see the day. I thought you were a confirmed bachelor."

Ranger's eyes narrowed and his tone turned ice cold, "Its not like that. She's a friend. No one talks like that about her unless they want to answer to me."

I nodded, "No offense intended." I stuck out my hand, "I'll see you soon."

As Ranger shook my hand his phone rang and he pulled it out to answer it. "Yo." I listened as he paused and then said, "I'm on my way Babe." With that he took off back to the parking lot and got into a low model sports car and peeled out of the lot like he was headed to a fire.

_Some of you were right. Rand and Ranger do know each other but not from the military. In this story Ranger and Stephanie are 32 and Rand is 35. Rand left the army when he was 20 to care for Casey. Now we just have to figure out who's after Casey. Once again the menus were googled. _


	16. Redecorating Queen Anne

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **__More answers coming in the next chapter M._

Chapter 16: Redecorating In Queen Anne

Ranger's POV:

I headed for the police department to see if I could talk with the man who was picked up for pulling a gun on Stephanie, Hector and Casey. The rest of the group was headed back to Queen Anne to see if they could learn anything more from there. I insisted Hector, Steph and Casey wear Kevlar just to be safe. I also gave Steph a cell that would give me GPS if she called me. I found the station without any problems and was headed into the building when I saw FBI special agent Thorton Connor Rand walking out of the building. He stood waiting for me to reach his location. When I stopped in front of him he nodded and said, "Ranger. Its been a long time."

I nodded. "That it has Rand. What are you doing here?"

"My brother called to tell me of someone trying to accost him at gunpoint. He said the man was brought here and I wanted to see who it was and if I could find out what is happening."

"Any luck?"

He shook his head, "Unfortunately the man killed a guard and escaped last night."

I shook my head, "That's a tough break. I wish you luck with it."

He nodded, "Thanks." and paused. "I'm working on a special case that has been going nowhere. We can't seem to find out anything with this group. Rumor is they are moving to Trenton soon. If that happens I'll be in your neck of the woods. I'd like to see what you could dig up on them."

I narrowed my eyes and handed him a business card before replying, "Give me a call. I have someone who does searches for me off and on. She's the best I've seen. She might be able to dig something up for you."

His eyes widened in surprise, "You have a woman working for you? I never thought I'd see the day. I thought you were a confirmed bachelor."

His tone irritated me, my eyes narrowed and my tone turned ice cold, "Its not like that. She's a friend. No one talks like that about her unless they want to answer to me."

He nodded, "No offense intended." He stuck out his hand, "I'll see you soon."

As I shook his hand my phone rang and I pulled it out to answer it. "Yo." I listened and paused, then said, "I'm on my way Babe." With that I took off back to the parking lot and got into a low model sports car and peeled out of the lot. I followed the GPS not knowing exactly what I would find when I reached her.

Stephanie's POV:

When we had eaten breakfast the next morning, we formulated a plan to see what we could find out about the man who tried to accost us. Hector, Casey and I were headed back to Queen Anne and Bobby, Lester, Ram and Hal would be shadowing us. Ranger had insisted we wear Kevlar. I rolled my eyes but put the vest on. He was going to the police station to see if he could get answers form the man who'd been arrested. Hector, Casey and I walked to the bus stop and took the bus back to Queen Anne. I have no idea where the Merry Men went because I saw no sign of them. I did have the feeling of being watched though.

When we got off the bus, I put a hand to my stomach and grabbed Hector's arm. The sense that we were in danger was magnified. Hector met my gaze and nodded. We continued to repeat our path of the last time we were here. When we had made the circuit, we decided to head back to the bus stop. We were nearly at the top of the hill across from the high school when I heard the sound of a gun being cocked. A rough, masculine voice demanded, "Let's try this again. Walk slowly up the stairs to your right. If any of you make a move I'll kill one of you and take it out on the other two."

He'd said the one thing that was sure to make all three of us co-operate. I was the first one up the stairs, followed by Casey and then Hector. Once we were inside the apartment, the man searched Hector and took his weapons and handcuffs. He used the handcuffs on Hector, feeding his hands through a chair to make it harder for him to do anything. While he was searching Casey, I made eye contact with Hector and at his nod, I slowly reached into my purse and found the cell phone Ranger had given me. I pressed the connect button and hoped he'd be able to hear if I left my purse open. Casey was forced to sit on the sofa and the man leered and stepped towards me. I gave him my best Burg glare and told him if he put one hand on me I would make sure he never enjoyed himself with a woman again. He stared at me for several minutes but used the gun to motion me over by Casey.

I sat next to Casey and the man sat in a chair facing us, his back was to Hector. I knew Hector was working on getting out of the handcuffs so I tried to keep the man's focus on us. I turned to Casey and tried to convey with my eyes for him to let me handle things. I'm not sure if he understood, but he nodded. I turned to our captor and asked, "What are you after?"

The man sneered at me, "All you need to know is you are in my hands now."

I shrugged, "I'd just like to know why you're doing this. I mean, its not like we're going anywhere."

He seemed to be thinking about it for a minute and then he smiled, "Alright. Its not like any of you are going to live through this anyway." He laughed. It was a laugh that made my skin crawl. Then he continued, "Seems golden boy there is a pawn for someone to destroy his brother. Seems your brother denied her something once and now she's paying him back by taking away what she was denied."

I looked at Casey and could tell he had no clue what the man was talking about, but he'd figured out it involved Rand in some way. I could see he was thinking about acting, I just had to keep him from doing that until help arrived. I reached over and took hold of Casey's hand. The man sitting facing us laughed and told me not to give the kid false hope. I vaguely heard the sound of a window rising. I didn't want our captor to be alerted if it was one of the Merry Men so I leaned forward and nudged the tray that was on the table in front of us onto the floor. The man snarled and rushed towards me with his hand raised. He was inches away from my face when there was the distinctive sound of a gun being cocked.

The man beside me turned and his eyes widened in horror as he looked into Ranger's eyes. Ranger smiled, but it was a smile I'd never seen before. I imagined this was the last glimpse his enemies had before they drew their last breaths. Hector stood and after making sure Casey and I were both unhurt, told me to take Casey back to the hotel. Casey tried to argue, but Hector gently took Casey's face in his hands and said, "Please. Go. You not see me like this."

After several seconds Casey nodded and the two of us made our way outside and down the stairs. Ram was downstairs and fell into step beside us. I knew he was our bodyguard in case there was another person out there waiting. We made it back to the hotel without further incident. Ram joined us in our suite and I sat beside Casey on the sofa and told him all about my life back in Trenton, New Jersey. Although he laughed at all the right places, I knew part of him was worrying about Hector. He didn't relax until the hotel door opened and the rest of the guys joined us. Casey stood and rushed to Hector, wrapping his arms around him and resting his forehead on Hector's shoulder.

Hector drew Casey to him and told him, "It all oaky. You safe now."

"I don't care about me. I was worried something would happen to you. I'm so glad you're okay."

Hector chuckled, "I bad ass. He not hurt me."

Then Hector did something that surprised all of the guys except maybe Ranger. He kissed Casey and then led him into their bedroom. Hal shook his head and turned to me asking, "When did that happen?"

"Not long after we got here we met Casey. Things have been developing since then."

I turned to Ranger and asked, "What did you find out?"

Ranger's eyes took on an iciness as he replied, "The aunt hired him to send a message to his brother. I called the brother and read him in on it. We have all the proof he needs to go after her." He wrapped his arms around me, "You okay Babe?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I'm good. I think its time to head home though. I don't want to take a chance on that guy having friends."

Lester laughed, "Don't worry beautiful. We got your back. But I for one will be glad to have you back home."

I smiled. "You just like not having to do your own searches."

Ranger arranged for a meal to be taken to his suite and I left a note to let Hector and Casey know where I was. It was nearly three hours later when they joined us and they both looked very relaxed. There was still some food left so they helped themselves. The guys asked Casey questions about himself which he readily answered. When he mentioned that he was an architect, Ranger asked if he had a portfolio. Casey nodded and said he had the actual drawings back at his apartment and that he carried a flash drive around with him because you never know when opportunity will knock. Ranger smiled and asked to see the flash drive. Casey took it out of his pocket and handed it over. Ranger went over a grabbed his laptop and brought it back over to set on the coffee table. He put the flash drive in and was silent as he studied the drawings on the drive.

When he was done, Ranger lifted his gaze to Casey and asked, "Do you have a job?"

"Not yet. I was taking off a few weeks before starting to look."

"Would you consider relocating?"

Casey turned to Hector and grinned, "I'll be looking for work in Trenton, New Jersey."

Ranger smiled, "How about coming to work for Rangeman? I'm looking for an architect who can look at a business or house and place security equipment that would be unobtrusive and not take away from the value of the property."

Casey looked stunned, "Are you serious?"

Hector was looking at Ranger like this was too good to be true. Ranger continued, "Its something I've been thinking about for several months now. We need to create safe houses with natural hidden safe places where someone could hide indefinitely. We also have clients who like being safe, but don't want the devices we need to use to be visible to everyone."

Casey looked to Hector and after a moment he smiled, "I'd like to give it a try."

Ranger reached out his hand, "Welcome aboard."

Casey threw his arms around Hector and let out a whoop. Everyone laughed. Later after we had gone back to our suite, I asked Hector and Casey how they felt about leaving for Trenton in a couple days. Casey said he just needed to pack his stuff and have it shipped. We agreed that tomorrow we would go to Casey's apartment and pack up his stuff. I knew Ranger and the guys were staying over till we headed back, so I was hoping with all the guys help we would be done in no time.

_The next chapter will be the last one in Seattle. Although I'm sad to say goodbye to Seattle, I'm anxious to get going with the rest of the story. The next chapter will have a scene I have to thank Knitter for inspiring because it was while I was answering her review I got the idea for the scene._


	17. Going Home

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **__Thank you Sandy for the inspiration for the scene. You'll recognize it when it hits you. M, here's your answer._

Chapter 17: Going Home

Stephanie's POV:

The next morning we were up and on our way to Casey's apartment by 8 a.m. Casey thought the guy's reaction to my being up at 7 a.m. was hilarious. They kept looking at their watches and then at me and rubbing their eyes. After 15 minutes of that I glared at them and told them it was getting old. This led to lots of shaking of heads. Once we got to Casey's, we all dug in and started just packing things up. Ranger was flying everything to Trenton on his plane when they returned. Casey was taking along a suitcase with clothes and toiletries. With everyone pitching in, it took us less than two hours to pack up the apartment. Once we had finished, Casey stood taking a last look around.

Hector thanked the guys for helping and they headed out with the boxes. I turned to them and bit my lip, then told them I would wait in the car. Hector nodded and I thought Casey might have blushed. I was waiting about 15 minutes when they came down to join me. Casey got into the driver's seat and Hector got in beside him. Just as we were pulling out to leave, I thought I saw Rand pull up in his car. I gave him a finger wave and we were on our way back to the hotel. We were picking up the rest of our stuff and heading to the airport. It was time to go home to Trenton.

Once we had all our bags packed and loaded into the car, we made one last stop at Tully's and we were on our way to SeaTac airport. Ranger and the guys were already at the airport loading up their plane. When we got there and they saw all the luggage I had, their eyes widened. Ranger walked over and said, "Did you buy out Seattle Babe?"

I rolled my eyes and replied, "Very funny Batman. I only did a little shopping."

He chuckled, "How about if I take that back to Trenton for you so you don't have to pay extra to check it and run the risk of it getting lost."

I smiled and nodded, "Thank you, that would be very nice."

He kissed my cheek and told me he'd see me in Trenton. I watched as he walked away. Hector asked if I was okay. I turned and smiled at him and told him I was fine. He looked at me for a moment before smiling and giving a nod. We decided to get something to eat before our flight so we headed into Anthony's Restaurant and Fish Bar. We were seated and handed menus. When the waitress came over we gave her our drink order and ordered Anthony's Tower which was flash seared ahi, mahi or salmon and crispy coconut prawns. As we waited for our waitress to return we looked over the menu to see what we wanted. I had made my choices and looked over to Hector and Casey. My eyes widened as I took in Hector's left hand. On his ring finger was the most beautiful ring I'd ever seen. I reached out and touched it and Hector lowered his menu and looked to see what had caught my interest.

I looked in his eyes and he smiled, "From Casey. Promise ring."

I turned and smiled at Casey. "It's beautiful."

Casey blushed and shrugged, "I saw it the other day when we were shopping and this just seemed like the right time to give it to Hector."

Just then the waitress returned and we gave her our order. Each of us had the Chop Chop Seafood Salad with fresh Dungeness crab, Oregon Bay Shrimp, avocado, chopped egg, tomatoes and chopped greens with fresh basil vinaigrette. I ordered the Garlic Prawn Fettuccine with roasted butterflied prawns sprinkled with gremolata and tossed with lemon-herb fettuccine and light cream sauce. Hector ordered the Seafood Fettuccine with Ocean Prawns, Oregon Bay Shrimp, manila clams, local mussels, scallops and vegetables tossed with garlic cream sauce. Casey chose the Northwest Cioppino with Wild Chinook Salmon, Manila clams, northwest mussels and Alaska true cod in specially seasoned tomato-basil sauce. The food was surprisingly good for an airport. Once we had finished we made our way towards the boarding gate where we would catch our plane.

We had been sitting, waiting for nearly 15 minutes when I saw a familiar form stalking through the airport. Suddenly Casey's brother Rand was standing in front of him with a scowl on his face. Casey looked up at his brother and frowned, "Something wrong?"

Rand's expression darkened, "I stopped by your apartment and found you cleaned it out. Going somewhere little brother?"

Casey nodded. "I left you a message and told you where I was going."

Rand gave a sharp nod. "That you did. However, you didn't bother to deliver it personally. There a reason for that?"

Casey sighed, "I didn't want you trying to talk me out of it."

Rand smiled mockingly, "Because you know I'm right about this. Casey, what the hell are you thinking? You haven't even known these people more than a few days."

"I know enough to know I love Hector. I've got a job and place to stay. I'm happy Rand. Can't you try to be happy for me?"

"Not when I know you're going to be hurt. I'm not signing off on this Casey. You aren't getting on that plane."

I couldn't help it, the laugh just came out. Unfortunately it drew Rand's attention to me and his look darkened even more. Rand stepped closer to me and his eyes narrowed. He was one pissed off jerk. He leaned down till his face was inches away from mine and asked, "You think that's funny little Suzie homemaker?"

I straightened and replied, "I just don't see how you are going to stop Casey from doing what he wants. He's a grown adult. You can't force your opinions on him or make him stay here if he wants to go."

Rand growled, and I saw Hector move to get between us but I put up my hand and he paused. Rand flicked a glance to Hector and shook his head, "I don't know what scam you two are pulling on Casey, but you won't be happy with how I deal with you."

I stood and straightened to my full height with my hands on my hips. "You're an ass Thorton Connor. We aren't scamming Casey. We happen to be his friends. We don't abandon our friends. You want to bring it on? Come ahead. But you better bring back up because if you take us on you'll be in a world of hurt. Now back off!"

At that moment our flight was called. Hector and Casey stood and we went to make our way to the boarding gate. Rand let us get a short distance away, following Casey the whole way. Suddenly he grabbed Casey's arm and pulled him to a stop. There was regret in his voice as he said, "Sorry about this little brother, but I'm not letting you go."

I looked at Hector and whispered, "Get Casey on the plane. I'll be right behind you."

Hector's eyebrow rose but he nodded. I judged the distance and then walked a little further away. Suddenly I took off running right at Rand and when I was close enough I went flying through the air and tackled him like I would any of the skips I routinely went after. Rand and I fell to the ground and I clung tightly making it difficult for him to move let alone get up. I rolled taking Rand with me and when I saw Hector and Casey show their tickets and walk through the gate, I rolled us so Rand was on top of me and I started screaming bloody murder. Within seconds there were all sorts of guards there pulling Rand off me. I latched onto the nearest guard and started babbling about how this stranger just grabbed me for no reason. I did my best to make it sound like I was seconds from breaking down and crying. I sniffled and made it look like I was shaking uncontrollably. The guards were all looking at Rand like he was scum and I kept laying it on as thick as I could.

Rand finally lost his patience and snarled, "You lying little bitch. You tackled me."

I turned a stunned look on the guard and asked him how I was supposed to be able to tackle someone his size and take them down. Rand lunged at me and I screamed in terror...or so it seemed. Two of the guards got hold of him and handcuffed him. The one I had plastered myself against was comforting me. I suddenly gasped and the guard asked me what was the matter. I told him I was going to miss my plane. He asked which flight I was on and I told him. He radioed something and told me not to worry about it.

Rand spoke in a deadly soft voice, "You haven't heard the last from me bitch. I will get you for this."

I shivered and the guard I was snuggling up to told the other guards to take Rand to the holding cell. Then he walked me all the way to the plane and saw that I got on board and found my seat before he headed back to the terminal. As soon as the guard left, Hector and Casey asked me what happened. I turned to them and smiled, "I just did a little distraction job and bought us enough time for our flight to get underway." Then I smiled.

Hector demanded, "Details."

The plane started to move and I froze in panic. Casey laughed, but took hold of my hands and talked to me until we were in the air. Once I had calmed down, I explained how I had tackled Rand and kept him from getting up until the two of them had made it onto the plane and then I made it look like Rand was attacking me. By the time I got done we were all laughing. Once we had calmed down, I saw Casey's worried look and asked him what was wrong. Casey shrugged, then said, "You said Rand promised to get even with you."

I nodded, "Yeah."

Casey shrugged, "Rand doesn't make idle threats."

I put my hand on his arm, "Don't worry Casey. I'm not afraid of your brother. I can handle him."

Casey's eyes met mine and he studied me for some time before he said, "I believe you can. I think Rand's not going to know what hit him."

As we made our way from Seattle to Trenton, I hoped I was right in what I'd told Casey. Something was telling me I had started something and I hadn't heard the last of Thorton Connor Rand.

_The menu was once again googled. They are finally on their way back to Trenton. Don't worry, Stephanie will definitely see Rand again._

.


	18. An Explosive Return

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **_

Chapter 18: An Explosive Return

Stephanie's POV:

When we landed, Ranger was there to meet us. He tossed Hector a set of keys and then wrapped his hand around my arm. We headed for the exit with Ranger carrying my bag. Hector waved and told me he'd see me later. I felt a little sad that we would be parting ways and Hector was going to his apartment at Rangeman and I was going to my apartment. After being together the last few days, I kind a got used to having them around. I gave them a finger wave and told them I'd see them in a couple days when I was at Rangeman. Ranger helped me into the car before taking his seat behind the wheel. When we reached my apartment, Ranger walked me up and I didn't even grouse at using the stairs. Hmm, maybe all that walking in Seattle was good for something after all.

Ranger checked my apartment for dangers and when he was sure it was safe he allowed me to enter. We sat down and he turned to me and took my hand, "Its good to have you back Babe. Did you find what you were looking for in Seattle?"

I smiled and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "I'm okay Batman. I've done some growing up and I'm going to be just fine."

He nodded. "I got a call on our way back. I have to leave for a couple of weeks but this is low key. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call Tank."

"I'll call if I need help. Take care of yourself Batman and don't get shot."

Ranger smiled and said, "Be safe and don't go crazy Babe."

He kissed me on the cheek and left. I sat there for several minutes before getting up and heading for bed. I'd had a long day and I was tired.

Casey's POV:

We drove for a couple of hours before Hector pulled up to a building and pointed something at the bar that was blocking our entrance to a garage. The bar went up and Hector pulled in and parked. When he got out I followed suit. He led the way up a few flights of stairs and then opened the door with a 4 above it. I followed him down the hallway till he stopped outside a door. Once again he used the thing in his hand to point at the door and then opened the door. I walked in and looked around. It was a nicely functional apartment. Hector showed me around and told me what was his was mine. We hugged and I thanked him.

We had just sat down on the sofa to relax when there was a knock on the door. Hector frowned and went to answer the door. A group of men entered the apartment and made themselves at home. They seemed to look at me expectantly but unsure what I was supposed to do I turned to Hector. He rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. "They not used to me with someone here."

I was confused and apparently it showed because Hector took my hand in his and said, "This is Casey. We together."

That's when the deluge of questions started. My eyes widened as I sat there and watched Hector field their questions. One question irritated me a little because it had to do with Stephanie and if she looked just as hot without her clothes. I had just turned my head away from the conversation to take in more of the apartment when the question was asked. The dead silence and the feeling like danger was nearby had me turning quickly to Hector. The look on his face was one I had never seen before, not even the first time that man came at us in Seattle. He was standing over the idiot who had asked the question with a knife in his hand. The look on his face was fierce and if he were looking at me like that I'd have to change clothes. I couldn't hear what he was saying but the man he was speaking to looked white as a sheet.

I looked at the rest of the guys and they looked just as fierce. When Hector straightened up and stepped back, the man visibly sagged. One of the guys who came to Seattle, I think it was Ram, gave the man a disgusted look and said, "You should know better than that Roger. Don't be such an ass."

Roger glared at Ram and said, "Well you guys know how hot she is. Its obvious she and Ranger aren't a couple and she's no longer with Morelli."

I recognized Hal from Seattle when he spoke up and said, "She and Ranger may not be an item, but that won't stop him from taking your ass out."

There was grumbled agreement. Shortly after that the guys started filtering out. The man, Roger was the first to go. Once they had all left, most of them welcoming me to Rangeman, I looked over to Hector and asked if he was okay. Hector looked at me. "Nobody disrespect Stephanie."

I nodded, "He irritated me too."

Hector looked at me for a moment, "I scare you?"

I met his gaze, "No. But I'd hate to meet you in a dark alley if we were enemies."

Hector smiled and said, "You never enemy."

On that note we headed for bed.

Stephanie's POV:

It felt weird getting back into the old routine. I missed having Hector and Casey around all the time and found myself gravitating over to Rangeman most nights just to see them, even though I was doing searches there twice a week, I missed them on those other days. If either of them felt I was being a bother, they never let on to me. As a matter of fact, Roger King commented on my spending so much time with them that you'd think it was a three way relationship instead of a couple. The next day Roger was sporting some nasty looking bruises and I was surprised when it wasn't Hector's hands, but Casey's that showed cuts and bruises.

Today it was a bonds day so after I showered I pulled on jeans, a blue t-shirt and my Doc Martin boots. I brushed my hair and pulled it back into a ponytail and then added makeup. I added extra coats of mascara to blend in better. In Jersey, three coats was on the light side. I grabbed my purse and dropped a couple grapes in Rex's cage. He was finally fluffing up a little from his stay at Rangeman. The guys must have put him on a diet and exercise regime because he was all muscle when I first got back. I couldn't believe how he cried the first few nights after he'd come back home. I still had to smile when Vince dropped Rex off and told me what Rex had done to one of Tank's cats. Apparently the cat had gotten loose and while Tank was looking all over for the poor thing, the cat wandered into the break room where Rex's cage was kept. Vince said he didn't know how Rex's cage got opened, but when he walked into the break room, Tank's cat was sneaking up on Rex. Vince went to hurry over and save Rex when the little hamster jumped at the cat and making a weird, high pitched sound and knocked his can into the glass. The noise scared the cat so much that it jumped up in the air as if it were standing on all four paws, the hair was standing straight up in the air and the cat screeched. On the way down the cat missed the counter and ended up landing on the floor. By this time Rex had scurried out of the cage and there was a plastic bowl on the counter that Rex nudged off the counter. The bowl flew up and fell down to the ground landing upside down on the cat and trapping it.

Vince said he hurried over and got Rex back in his cage. When he lifted the bowl off the cat it raced out of the break room into the hall. Roger King had been walking by at that moment and the cat speeding by surprised him to the point he yelled out and lost his balance and fell back on his ass. Tank scooped up the cat and came over to find out what all the commotion was about. When Vince told him, Roger mumbled something about he should have put the cat in the cage with the rat instead of just leaving the door open. When the guys found out what he tried to do it was curtains for Roger.

Although I laughed at the story, I had to wonder what Roger had against me. I didn't know it yet, but I wouldn't have long to wait to find out just exactly what his beef was.

I stopped by the Tasty Pastry and picked up a donut each for Connie and Lula. My first trip in there when I got back I was telling Martha about the awesome scones I had in Seattle. She asked me if I would swing by the next day and try one out if she made some. I readily agreed and that was the start of a beautiful friendship between me and my new regular for breakfast. Today's offering was pineapple upside down scones. When I got to the bonds office, Lula was at the door to take the bag and two of the coffees off my hands. I took my coffee and scone and had a seat so I could enjoy my breakfast.

I had just finished when Lula snorted and said, "Would you look at that. There goes the Barnyard with that man in black again."

I looked out the window to see my nemesis with none other than Roger King. Things were starting to make sense now. I watched as they kissed and just about gagged. Then Roger got in his truck and left and Joyce crossed the street and headed into the bonds office. When she walked into the office her eyes zeroed in on me and she sneered, "Gee Steph, I hear the only way you can get any action is a three way with those goons you hang around with."

My eyes narrowed but I ignored her. She glared at me before turning and stalking into Vinnie's office. I grabbed the files Connie had and headed out the door with Lula on my heels. I had just reached my car when Joyce came out of the bonds office fuming. When her eyes landed on us she started marching over. She was nearly to us when a car got too close to the curb and when it drove through the puddle of water, the water flew up and came down on top of Joyce. Lula and I started laughing which only made Joyce madder and her speed picked up. I told Lula to haul ass into the car and I took off leaving Joyce standing there like a drowned rat, clenching her hands and furious.

Lula and I headed for Deacon Flannary's house in the burg. His was the top folder and I knew he'd be home at this time of day. I parked and sent Lula to the back as I took the front. I rang the bell and Deacon answered the door himself. His eyes narrowed when he saw me and he stood there and crossed his arms over his chest and stated, "I'm not going in."

"It will only take a few minutes. I'll call Connie to meet us so she can get you re-bonded."

Deacon shook his head, "I'm not going."

I put my hands on my hips and sighed. I bit my lip trying to come up with something to get him to co-operate but nothing was coming. Finally I shrugged and told him, "I'm not giving up till I haul you down to the station."

Deacon smiled and reached behind his back to the stand behind him and pulled a bottle from behind his back. I knew what that meant. I glanced at the car I was currently driving and winced. I looked back at Deacon and glared, "I _like_ this car. I don't want to lose it."

"Then get in and drive away and don't come back."

I shook my head, "Not going to happen. But I'm warning you if you throw that at my car I'm going to hurt you."

Deacon's eyes gleamed with humor, "I'm shaking in my boots. You don't scare me Plum."

_Shit! _Stalemate. Now what. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Lula creeping up on Deacon so I did my best to keep his focus on me. Just as she reached out to stun him he turned and saw her. His eyes opened wide and he threw the Molotov cocktail in the direction of my car. Lula stunned Deacon and he fell over landing right on top of her. Lula started rolling around screaming for somebody to get him off her and although I tried, she was moving them around and I couldn't get a good hold. Suddenly there was the sound of a car catching on fire and then an explosion. My car lifted off the ground and flew three feet straight up before crashing back down to the ground right on top of the car behind it. In a matter of seconds that car was engulfed in flames and then another explosion rocked the neighborhood. One of the burning tires flew off the car and headed right for Deacon's house. I finally got Lula to quit rolling around and helped her get out from under Deacon. When the tire landed in the front room a few feet from us we both grabbed Deacon's arms, one on each side, and dragged him out of the house and away from the two burning cars and the now burning house.

We had gotten as far as the sidewalk when a Rangeman vehicle pulled up and Lester got out, racing over to help us carry our load to safety. Bobby parked the vehicle and joined us as the fire department arrived and went to work putting out the fire.

_Well, Stephanie is definitely back and now the fire department as well as the police department are aware of it. Don't worry, Rand will find his way to Trenton soon._


	19. A Collision Forming

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **_

Chapter 19: A Collision Forming

Stephanie's POV:

Lester handed my skip off to Eddie and once Bobby made sure I wasn't hurt, the guys took me back to Rangeman after dropping Lula off at the bonds office. On the way to Haywood I told Bobby and Lester about seeing Roger with Joyce Barnhardt that morning. They looked at each other and I thought I saw Lester's jaw clench. When we pulled in to the garage at Rangeman, Lester helped me out and we were walking towards the elevator when the stairwell door burst open. Casey stood there with a look of panic on his face. He rushed over to me and wrapped me in his arms. "Are you okay Steph? I just heard your car was blown up. How did that happen? Did they catch the guy who did it?"

I smiled and assured Casey I was fine. He was in the process of making sure I was unhurt when Hector exited the stairwell. He walked over and put a hand on Casey's back. He smiled at me and said, "Car go boom."

I grimaced, "Yeah. My car went boom. I'm okay. But Deacon Flannary's in for a world of hurt the next time I see him. I liked that car."

Hector smiled and gently caressed my cheek. He took Casey and led him back upstairs. I could hear Hector telling him he needed to get used to hearing about my cars going boom because it was a regular occurrence around here. My eyes narrowed as I listened and I steamed over my latest car getting blown up. Les and Bobby rode the elevator with me and we stopped on 5. When I got off the elevator I could hear all the guys take a collective sigh of relief. I rolled my eyes but said nothing as I made my way towards my cubicle. It didn't look like I was going to catch anymore skips today because Connie was going to have to get me copies of the files I had. I figured I might as well do some searches for Rangeman.

Ranger had been gone for 2 weeks, and no one was sure when he was coming back so I was surprised when his office door opened and he stepped into the doorway. He smiled when he saw me and I walked over and gave him a hug. I heard a snort and turned to see Roger King sneering at me. I'd had a rough day and I didn't need his attitude. I dropped my arms from around Ranger and turned to Roger. I put my hands on my hips and gave him my best glare as I said, "Listen here Roger, I don't give a rats ass if you're madly in love with Joyce Barnhardt and want to please her by hassling me. I don't need any more of your crap so stuff it up your ass and light it on fire. Keep your nose out of my business and stop with your comments or you won't be able to have your fun with Joyce because I'll ram your gonads so far up they'll have to cut them out!"

Roger paled but I don't think it was my words that did the trick. I glanced at Ranger and noticed the look on his face. Uh oh. I put a hand on Ranger's chest and said, "I don't want you to fire him. He doesn't have to like me. I'll deal with this."

"No. He knows the rules. He doesn't have to like you, but he damn well has to follow orders. Pack your gear and get out King. You broke the rules. Be thankful you're leaving in one piece."

Roger glared at me and said, "I'll get even with you. I promise you that."

I sighed, "Great. Just what I need"

"Don't worry Babe. I've got someone on him."

I looked up at Ranger and gave him a weak smile. "Glad to see you back in one piece."

Ranger grinned. "Come into my office for a minute will you. I have a favor to ask you."

I followed him in and took up residence on the sofa. Ranger picked up a folder from his desk and came over and sat on the sofa as well. He set the folder on the table in front of us and then said, "I ran into someone when I was in Seattle. He's an FBI agent and we've worked on several National Security cases together. He's been having difficulty getting the goods on his newest case because they always seem to be one step ahead of him. That's where I've been the last two weeks. I thought if I shadowed him I might learn something useful. I think there's a leak in the department. Someone's selling information. I have a list of people in that folder I'd like you to look into. There's also information on the case."

I lifted the folder and glanced through it. "What kind of priority is this?"

"Top. The agent thinks they plan on moving to Trenton. I think he's right."

I looked over to Ranger, "You know I'll help."

Ranger placed his hand on my arm, "Babe, I'd need you to put working for Vinnie on the back burner until this is over."

I bit my lip. I knew Vinnie wouldn't be happy. After all I'd just taken a vacation. On the other hand, Ranger didn't help me only when it was convenient to him. I nodded and replied, "I'm in."

He smiled his full 200 watt smile and said, "Thanks Babe. I can always count on you."

I stood up with the folder in my hands and asked, "Can I take this folder out on the floor or is there another place you want me to work on it?"

"Rangeman is secure. You can work on it at your desk."

I nodded and made my way out to my desk. I booted up my computer and noticed a funny message on the screen. I was just about to go ask one of the guys what it meant when I heard Lester say, "_Oh SHIT_!" I was lifted and found myself being raced through the floor till we were at a safe distance and then he set me down. Suddenly there was a pop and smoke was coming from my cubicle.

Ranger came from his office and looked first to make sure I was okay and then in the direction of where my desk was located. He had a grim look on his face. Hector came out of the stairwell with a bruised and bloody Roger King beside him. Ranger barely glanced at him before turning to Hector and asking, "What happened?"

"I watch monitors. He plant bomb. I talk. He fall."

Ranger smiled and the look on Roger's face turned into one of terror. "Hector, make sure Ms. Barnhardt receives the same courtesy that Stephanie was afforded."

"Si." The smile on Hector's face had Roger shaking in his boots.

Roger tried pleading, "You can't do that. She had nothing to do with this."

Ranger stepped into Roger's face, "You know me well enough to know what happens when someone comes after me or mine."

"But you two aren't together."

"Stephanie is my friend and will always be my friend. That will never change. The standing order remains."

Roger's eyes grew round. "I didn't know."

Ranger smile and I was glad I wasn't in Roger's shoes. "Now you do."

In a fit of insanity Roger glared at Ranger and said, "If you hurt Joyce, I'll come after you." He turned and looked at me before turning back to Ranger. "After all, I know where your weakness lies."

Roger never even saw the blow coming. Ranger looked to Hector and nodded but nothing else was said.

Ranger turned to me and said, "Use my office till your cubicle has been cleaned up Babe. Don't worry about Roger. He won't bother you anymore."

I was quiet as I went into Ranger's office and got to work. I was afraid Roger had drawn his last breath.

Rand's POV:

I had just spent the most frustrating three weeks of my life. Not only was I having issues at work, but my brother had been convinced to uproot his life and go off to who knows where with those two scam artists. I smiled wryly thinking at least I could kill two birds while I was here. I'd dug up the fact Casey was in Trenton. He'd opened a checking and savings account with his first paycheck. Although I didn't yet know who he was working for, I did know the location. Casey was in Trenton. I had three days to get acclimated before those I was investigating showed up. I intended to be ready.

I was still pissed at that bitch for keeping me from stopping Casey from leaving Seattle. If I ever ran into her again she was going to pay in spades. Letting go of that for the moment, I focused on the fact we had just landed. I retrieved my bags and made my way out of the airport. There before me was Ranger Manoso. He was leaning against a Porsche Turbo 911, black of course. We shook hands and he opened the trunk so I could store my bags. We both got in and he took off towards Trenton. I wasn't surprised when he told me he had shadowed me for two weeks. Apparently he brought the information back here and handed it off to the Wonder Woman working for him. I made sure not to voice my opinion out loud, remembering the last time. I was anxious to see this woman that had the great Ranger Manoso by the balls.

We discussed what he had discovered and the bits the woman had uncovered. I thought to myself that once I had the information he had found out, I'd be able to see the answer. I wasn't holding out much faith in the woman. I asked about the information being secure and he said the woman was trustworthy. I decided it was in my best interest not to question him on that while we were going 100 mph. When he pulled up to his building, I was surprised. I expected something more elaborate. Ranger parked and we got out and took the stairs up to the 5th floor. He led me through to his office and I had to admit I was impressed with the setup. I followed him into the office and we continued going over what we knew. When we had reached a road block, Ranger offered me the use of one of the apartments on the 4th floor for my use while I was in town. I thanked him and accepted the key fob he handed me. We had just stood and made our way outside the office when there was a blur of motion that launched itself into his arms. When I saw just_ who_ it was, I was stunned. It was none other than the bitch who kept me from stopping Casey from leaving Seattle.

_Okay, so…..Rand is now aware that Stephanie somehow knows Ranger. Can you imagine what will happen next?_


	20. Collision Course

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **_

Chapter 20: Collision Course

Stephanie's POV:

I spent the morning working on the information in the folder Ranger gave me. There was something there that was driving me nuts but I couldn't put my finger on it. I was finishing up a search now that I was hoping would give me the piece of the puzzle I was missing. I sighed in frustration and Casey teased, "Letting the world get you down again?"

I looked up and met his grinning gaze. I smiled and stood, stretching to work the kinks out of my muscles. "I'm starving. Have you and Hector eaten yet?"

He laughed, "I was just on my way to ask you if you wanted to join us."

I nodded and grabbed my purse, "Let's go."

We headed out. Since I still didn't have a replacement car and didn't want to run the risk of sending another one of Ranger's cars to the garbage heap, I rode with Hector and Casey. I smiled when we pulled up in front of Pino's. Hector rolled his eyes as we got out and said, "I thank you for telling Casey Pino's best?"

I laughed. "Yes Hector. You've told me but somehow I don't think you mean it."

Casey joined in my laughter. "He prefers Shorty's. He figured since I didn't know any better that he'd get Shorty's all the time, but since you introduced me to Pino's, I love it and now he only gets Shorty's every other time."

"Sounds fair to me."

We went in and grabbed a booth. Hector sat with his back to the wall facing the windows and doors. Casey and I sat together across from him. We ordered pizza and I asked for a coke. Casey and Hector chose water. While we were waiting on our pizza who should walk in but Joe Morelli. He went to the counter and gave his order, then looked around. His eyes widened when he saw me sitting with Hector and Casey. He stood and sauntered over. His eyes went over first Hector and then Casey before turning to me.

"Hey Cupcake. You're looking good."

"Thanks Morelli. You're no slouch yourself."

"I heard you took a little vacation out to the west coast."

I nodded, "I went to Seattle. I had a great time."

"I've missed you Cupcake. How about coming over and watching the game with me later. Bob misses you."

I rolled my eyes, "We've already been down that road Joe. I told you we can be friends, but nothing more. I'm not interested in the friends with benefits spiel."

For a second his eyes turned hard and I thought he was going to start something but then he glanced to the door and shrugged. "See you around Cupcake."

I turned to see who had come in the door and I smiled and sent a finger wave to my cousin Eddie. He nodded and I saw his gaze go to Morelli. I turned back to Hector and Casey and saw the disbelieving look on Casey's face. I gave him a puzzled look and asked, "What?"

Casey shook his head, "I've heard all about him but until this moment I never realized what an ass that guy is."

Hector laughed, "Told you so."

I shrugged, "What can I say."

We all laughed at that and out of the corner of my eye I saw Morelli glare at us. We finished our meal and headed out. Just as we got to the door, Joe smirked and said, "Try not to blow up any more cars Cupcake. One of these days your luck might run out."

I flipped Joe the bird but continued on my way out the door. We headed back to Rangeman and I said goodbye to the guys and headed back up to my cubicle. I checked to see if the search I had started was finished but it was still running. I decided to check on a couple of other things while I waited. I was vaguely aware of Ranger returning and knew he had someone with him from the sounds on the floor. I kept my focus on my computer and was rewarded a few minutes later when not only did my search finish but I had the final piece of the puzzle I needed to put everything together. I waited impatiently for the printer to spit out the copy and then I raced to tell Ranger. I was running full force and knew I'd never be able to stop in time when I saw Ranger step outside his office, so I leapt through the air and trusted Ranger to catch me which he did.

I pulled back and could tell Ranger was amused by my actions. He smiled and asked, "A little excited Babe?"

" I figured it out."

"Good. Let me introduce you to the person I'm working with on this. Babe, I'd like to introduce you to…"

I turned to meet the newcomer and froze. When Ranger started to introduce him I glared and spit out, "Thorton Connor Rand."

Ranger stilled but otherwise gave nothing away. Rand was looking at me with a narrowed gaze. "You know each other Babe?"

At that moment from behind me I heard Casey ask, "Rand? What the hell are you doing here?"

I saw Rand's gaze turn to someone behind me and his eyes hardened as he turned back to me. I wiggled and Ranger set me down. "Well, well…..looks like Casey isn't the only gullible male in your web."

I stood toe to toe with him and glared, "Get over yourself Thorton…" I didn't get to finish because he grabbed my arm and pulled me within inches of his face and in a deadly soft voice said, "_Don't….call….me….that….again._"

I never was one to listen to an order, "But Thorton, that is your name."

He took a step closer but before he could do anything else, Ranger broke in and growled, "You need to tread carefully here Rand because if you don't back off, if I don't wipe the floor with your ass my men will."

Rand stood staring at me for several seconds, his jaw clenching and I could see the struggle it took for him to step back. He turned narrowed eyes on Ranger. "What's she to you?"

Ranger's narrowed gaze was fixed on Rand, "Stephanie and I are friends. I was her mentor when she first started out in the business."

"The scam artist business?"

"No. Bounty Hunting."

Rand threw back his head and laughed. When he stopped laughing he shook his head and said, "Right. Like she'd have a chance."

I heard more growling, and not just from Ranger this time. Ranger raised an eyebrow, "What do you have against her?"

"How long do you have? The first time I met her she threw up on me. The second time I run into her she is drunk, the next time, she was a klutz and fell taking me with her over the rail at Snoqualmie Falls. Then she has the nerve to let me do all the work getting us to shore. The next meeting she has the nerve to knee me in the groin and she keeps insisting on calling me by that awful name. Then when I get to the airport to stop my brother from leaving she tackles me and manages to plaster herself to a guard and acts like I'm trying to kill her so they put handcuffs on me and put me in a cell for 5 fucking hours while they make good their escape. Then I come here and you think she's some kind of Angel."

Ranger looked over at me and I saw the laughter in his eyes. He raised an eyebrow and I shrugged. "Hector and I went to the Space Needle. Did you know you have to ride in this really tiny elevator 520 feet in the air to get to the restaurant and the observation deck? Well, you do. Then of course you have to ride that same teeny tiny elevator back down. There were like 4 other couples in there with us too. The food was horrible and they kept talking about it. I kept feeling sicker and sicker but there was no place to go. Before I could get out he was pushing his way into the elevator and well…..it just came out."

The guys started laughing at that one. Rand glared at them. Ranger nodded as a cue to continue. I went on to tell them about the whale watching trip and telling the guys I wanted to have a drink. I had 2 drinks and Rand scoffed that no one got drunk on two drinks. Ranger grinned and said, "Stephanie does. She has no head for alcohol."

Anyway, I went on to tell them that the whole incident at the falls was Rand's fault because he grabbed Casey's arm and when Casey pulled his arm away and knocked Rand back he threw me off balance and I grabbed the only thing I could latch onto. I further went on to say it wasn't my fault the rail broke and we took a dunk in the falls. I turned and glared at Rand and told him none of it would have happened if he hadn't planted a tracker on Casey's car. There was more laughter which I ignored. I continued my defense by telling him if he wasn't such an ass to his brother I wouldn't have had to knee him in the groin and it was his fault because he grabbed my arm in the first place. I also told him I did nothing wrong in calling him by his given name. It was after all his legal name and if he hated it that much why didn't he have it legally changed. Then I went on to tell him he gave me no choice but to tackle him at the airport because he was going to make us miss our flight and Casey was a grown man. Just because he didn't like his choices didn't mean they were bad choices. I told him I was just giving Hector and Casey time to get on the plane. Besides, it wasn't my fault the guards chose to keep him locked up for 5 hours.

By now all the guys were laughing so hard they were holding their stomachs. The only ones not laughing were Ranger, Rand and myself. Hector was standing protectively by Casey and since they were laughing I guessed the story was just as funny the second time around. Rand went to take a step closer and Ranger stepped between us. His voice was soft and lethal as he spoke, "I like you Rand. But I love Stephanie. I won't let you hurt her" he paused, "in any way."

Rand turned to me and his gaze did a once over before turning back to Ranger, "She's not my type." He stepped back and relaxed, "Don't worry Ranger. I won't hurt your little pet." His eyes drilled me with a venomous look, "As long as she stays out of my way."

I straightened and raised my chin in defiance, "Then we'll have no problem as long as you leave Casey and Hector alone and stay out of my way. You definitely aren't my type."

My gaze clashed with Rand's and I cursed the damn tingling that told me I was lying through my teeth. It was a couple minutes before I realized Ranger was trying to get our attention. When I turned to him, he was giving both Rand and I a funny look. He brought me back to the reason I had come running over in the first place. I handed him the file and the searches I'd just gotten back. He took the folder and opened it. His eyes darted back to mine in surprise. I smiled and nodded. Ranger took my arm and drew me in the direction of his office. He turned back to Rand and said, "You'll want to join us Rand. She hit the mother lode."

_Hope you guys enjoyed their meeting at Rangeman. I know some of you were looking for a more violent meeting, but don't worry, the hostilities aren't over yet. Hopefully I answered some of your questions. _


	21. An Unexpected Development

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **__For those of you confused over Ranger not being aware of Rand investigating Stephanie and Hector and being Casey's brother, he knows and here it is from his own thoughts._

Chapter 21: An Unexpected Development

Ranger's POV:

I knew Rand and Stephanie knew each other, but I didn't want to give anything away. I wasn't playing games with her, but when she told me Thorton Connor Rand was the brother of the man she and Hector had befriended, I knew it would be an interesting show. I met Rand just after finishing Ranger training when the team I was on worked with the FBI in Columbia to rescue a diplomat and his family from their kidnappers. I liked the man and he was a good ally to have in a tight spot. Over the years I had worked with Rand several times. I knew he had a young brother he was raising. I was amazed that Stephanie and Hector had run across the brother on their trip. Once I met Casey I liked him, and when I learned he was an architect I knew I was going to offer him a job. I knew he would be perfect at Rangeman. He already possessed the best quality any of my men could possess; a willingness to protect Stephanie.

I made the decision to keep quiet about knowing Rand because I didn't want to influence Stephanie one way or the other. I was also paying Rand back for giving that nut job my hotel key that time we were in Vegas. It led to the whole fiasco I had to get straightened out before I could return. I would bide my time and wait to see how things progressed. As long as he didn't hurt her I'd let him live. But if he hurt her all bets were off and I would show him up close and personal what happens when someone hurts my Babe. I loved her as much as it was possible for me to love anyone. As I watched the two of them together I couldn't help but smile. This was going to be good. Rand had no clue what he was in for. Stephanie would turn his world on its ear. I smiled inwardly as I anticipated his reaction to Grandma Mazur, and wondered how he would handle all that came with Stephanie Plum; including me and my men.

Stephanie's POV:

My eyes narrowed as I took in Ranger's _innocent_ look. He knew Rand and I were acquainted. I know I gave Ranger his name as being Casey's brother when we were in Seattle. I wondered what Ranger was playing at. My eyes narrowed as I studied him. He was up to something, the question was what. I followed them into Ranger's office and made sure to put myself as far away from Rand as possible. Ranger opened the file and I knew from the way he stiffened that he was surprised by the information I had uncovered. Finally he closed the file and handed it to Rand. Rand opened the file. He hadn't been reading long when his gaze turned and drilled into me.

I could tell he wasn't happy with what he read. "How did you get this information?"

"I have my sources."

"Yeah? Well I need to make sure this is on the up and up. I can't use tainted information."

My eyes widened, "Tainted?"

"Manufactured to make you look good to your lover."

Ranger gave a low growl and Rand lifted his hands, "No offense Ranger. But you can't tell me you two have never hit the sheets."

Ranger's eyes narrowed on Rand, "The past is none of your business. Stephanie doesn't need to _manufacture_ anything to impress me. Anything she has here is real."

Rand stood and slammed the file down on Ranger's desk, "You can't tell me she got Intel on guns being sold through the normal search engines."

My eyes widened, "I never said I got the information from the search engines. I just told you I have my own sources."

Rand turned on me and leaned over, putting his hands on the arms of my chair trapping me as his torso leaned down so our faces were within inches of each other. His voice was deadly soft as he said, "And I told you I need to know what or who those sources are."

He was too close and I felt the panic clawing at me to get away. I acted instinctively and suddenly Rand was bent over on the ground cupping himself. He gritted his teeth and glared at me as he spoke, "You better get her out of here Ranger because if she's still here when I get up I'm going to strangle her!"

I didn't wait to hear what Ranger said. I was up and out the door as Rand finished speaking. As I closed the door behind me I could swear I heard Ranger laughing and saying something to Rand about a payback for Vegas. When I exited Ranger's office, I saw Casey nervously pacing back and forth. When he saw me come out he stopped pacing and came over and wrapped his arms around me. I was shaking slightly from my encounter with Rand. Casey lifted my chin so I was looking him in the eyes and got a determined gleam in his eyes. He tucked me under his arm and led me towards the elevator. We rode down to the 4th floor and Casey led us to Hector's apartment. He unlocked the door and led me inside.

Hector looked up as we entered and his eyes narrowed when he saw the look on Casey's face. "Problem?"

"She came running out of Ranger's office like she was scared to death. I swear I'm going to string my brother up if he doesn't stop hassling her!"

Hector came over and took my hands in his, "You okay Stephanie?"

"I'm good Hector. Rand just penned me into the chair and I reacted by kicking out."

Hector sat back on the floor and started laughing. Casey looked puzzled so Hector clued him in by telling him I kicked Rand in his manhood. Casey's eyes widened and he shook his head. Then he started laughing too. Casey insisted I join them for dinner and we spent the evening talking and watching a Yankees game. It was getting late so I stood and thanked them for dinner and the company. Casey looked at Hector and frowned. Hector kissed Casey on the forehead and told him he was going to walk me down to my car and would be back shortly. Casey looked relieved and nodded.

Hector walked me to the elevator and we took it down to the garage. Once I was in the Cayenne, Hector told me to be careful and watched as I left the garage before heading back to his apartment. I pulled into my lot and had to park in the back because all the spots up close were already gone. I grabbed my purse and headed for the building. I had nearly reached the door when I felt a hand on my arm. I didn't even think, I just reacted. I turned but whoever had hold of my arm blocked my knee from connecting. My hand made contact with the pepper spray in my purse and I brought the can out, but needed to get away from my would be attacker before I could use it. I moved suddenly, letting myself fall which unbalanced my attacker enough I was able to get away. I ran to the door and opened it as the attacker came after me. I closed my eyes and let go with the pepper spray. When I heard the attacker cry out I ducked into my apartment building and ran up the stairs to my apartment. I quickly unlocked the door and slipped inside throwing all the locks and bolts before sliding down to sit on the floor.

I pulled my purse close to me and fished out my phone. I pressed speed dial for Ranger and at his "Yo." I said, "Someone tried to attack me when I got home. They were waiting in the parking lot and grabbed my arm. I got away and sprayed them with pepper spray, but I think they're still out there."

"I'm on my way Babe."

I stayed where I was, not having the energy to see if the person was still out there. As I waited for Ranger, I couldn't help but wonder what all that tingling was I had been feeling. When the knock sounded on the door, I stood to look out the peephole. Ranger was standing there and if I didn't know better I'd say he was laughing. I unlocked the locks and threw the floor bolt before opening the door. I threw myself into Ranger's arms and felt him silently shaking. I looked up and was surprised to see him laughing.

I leaned back in his arms and glared, "What's so funny?"

"I caught your attacker Babe."

"Good. Maybe you can teach him a lesson."

"I think you already did that Babe. Tank had to take him to the hospital. Apparently you got him square in the eyes with the pepper spray. He couldn't see where he was going and tripped and fell in the parking lot. Tank thinks he may have broken his hand. I just came up to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine. Better now that I know I sprayed that creep in the eyes. I hope they burn for a long time."

Ranger chuckled. "I'll see you in the morning Babe. Try and make it before 10 if you can."

"Very funny. Just for that I might sleep in."

Ranger shrugged, "Rand wants to set up a meeting with Alexander. If you wait too long he might insist we leave without you."

I grinned, "Maybe I should surprise him and meet you guys there. That way I could sleep a little later."

Ranger shook his head, "Remind me never to get on your bad side Babe."

I hugged Ranger and said, "You don't have to worry about that Ranger. You're my friend. However, I would like to know what you are plotting. I know I gave you Rand's name as being Casey's brother when we were in Seattle."

Ranger smiled, "That you did Babe. Maybe someday I'll clue you in."

He kissed my cheek and headed out. I felt him waiting on the other side till I locked up and threw the floor bolt. I headed for the bedroom and stripped before pulling a t-shirt over my head. I slipped into bed but sleep was a long time coming. Instead I was plagued by thoughts of a blonde haired, green-eyed man with a killer body.

_Any guesses who she got with the pepper spray? One of you was spot on with your guess as to who might be involved with Rand's case. It will become clearer in the next chapter._


	22. Delayed Meeting

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **__You are on the right track M. (Nothing personal all you Heather's out there. You'll understand soon.)_

Chapter 22: Delayed Meeting

Stephanie's POV:

My alarm sounded at 9 a.m. I slipped out of bed and showered, shaved and shampooed. Once I dried off I dressed in my best blue jeans and blue t-shirt. After lacing up my Doc Martins I brushed my hair and fastened it back in a ponytail. After applying my makeup I hesitated before adding a fourth coat of mascara. I was dreading my next run in with Rand and needed all the extra courage I could muster. Once I was dressed I grabbed my purse. It was 9:30 a.m. and I knew it would take me an hour to get to Deal. I winced knowing I would be half an hour late for the meeting as I was sure Ranger would have set it up for 10 sharp. I climbed into the Cayenne and pulled out my cell phone as I pulled out of my lot.

I recognized the gravelly voice immediately and asked, "How are you doing Alexander?"

"Peachy. That you kiddo?"

"Yeah." I sighed. "I got delayed and there's no way I can make it before 10:30."

"Don't sweat it. I'll call and delay the meeting."

"Thanks Alexander."

"Anything for you doll."

I disconnected and smiled. I knew Ranger would probably take it in stride, I just hoped Rand wasn't all snooty about the meeting being delayed. I tossed the phone in my purse and made my way onto the freeway. In no time I was taking the exit leading to Deal. I made my way to Alexander's favorite bar where I knew the meeting would be taking place. I smiled as I saw Ranger's Porsche Turbo 911 in the prime parking space next to the door. Of course, the closest I could get was three blocks away. I parked the Cayenne and slid out, making sure it was locked. I headed back towards the bar. When I reached the bar, I noticed the Limo parked in front of the door. Just as I got to the Limo, the back door opened and Alexander got out.

I smiled and said, "Hello Alexander. Its nice to see you again."

He nodded to me, "Good seeing you again too Doll." He held out his arm to me and grinned, "Shall we?"

I grinned back and accepted his arm. We walked inside and made our way over to Alexander's usual table. We had just sat down when the sound of chairs scrapping could be heard. I turned and my gaze was snared by Rand's icy gaze. I noticed his eyes appeared red and he had a cast on his left hand. My eyes widened as I realized my attacker of the night before was none other than Rand. Alexander had chosen the best seat in the bar. His back was to the wall and he could see all doors and windows. He had sat me beside him. Ranger and Rand sat across from us.

Ranger lifted an eyebrow, "I was surprised you wanted a later meeting Alexander."

The old man laughed, "Kiddo had a late start."

Ranger grinned and said, "Babe, you never disappoint."

Rand scowled and mumbled, "Speak for yourself."

I turned to Rand and we glared at each other. Alexander chuckled and said, "Dolly tells me you're looking for information on the Stewarts."

Rand straightened up and nodded. "Yes. I've been working with them for five months now and haven't gotten anything on them."

Alexander cackled, "That's because someone is selling you out sonny. Word is the Stewarts only deal in the second meeting. The first meeting they have a fed trying to dig out information."

Rand looked stunned. "How the hell could they know that?"

Alexander motioned to me, "Ask kiddo. She dug up the connection."

Rand turned to me and his eyes narrowed. "You decide to keep that to yourself did you?"

I frowned, "I included it in the file. Didn't you read it?"

Rand scowled, "I'm having a little problem reading right now. Some idiot sprayed me with pepper spray."

I smiled, "Serves you right for going around grabbing people's arms without saying anything."

Rand clenched his good hand and I had the feeling if he got his hands on me he'd like to choke me. I scooted closer to Alexander. Just then the door opened and I recognized the woman from the file. I nudged Alexander and he nodded to one of his men who distracted the woman. Alexander slipped out of the booth and kissed my cheek, "See you around Dolly."

"Thanks Alexander."

Just like that he slipped out before the woman even knew he was in here. I knew we didn't have much time and my concern was that Rand wouldn't believe me when I said what I was asking him was necessary. I gave Ranger a look and took a deep breath. "Don't say anything about meeting Alexander. You can't trust her."

Rand glared, "Oh. And I suppose I can trust you?"

"You can trust Ranger. Ranger trusts me."

Rand's eyes narrowed but he nodded. The woman made her way over and smiled at Rand. "I wasn't expecting to see you in this neck of the woods. What's going on with your case to bring you here?"

Rand turned to the woman and smiled, "It's a surprise to see you here too Heather. Are you working on a case?"

Heather laughed, "Heavens no. I'm on vacation. I'm meeting a close friend and hoping to rekindle a romance."

Rand's eyes roamed over Heather's body before he returned his gaze to hers. "I'm sure you won't have any problems Heather."

Heather batted her eyes and smiled and I wanted to rip her face off. How fake could you get? I rolled my eyes and looked over at Ranger who was watching me through lowered eyelids. I made a face at him and he let loose a smile. Rand asked Heather to join us and apparently she didn't realize she wasn't welcome here because she actually stepped over as if she expected me to let her have my seat. I slid over and Heather slipped into the seat I had vacated. Rand and Heather talked for several minutes before Heather finally said she needed to be running along. Once Heather had made her way out the door, Rand turned back to me and said he hoped I was right about not trusting her because she is a nice person.

Ranger said, "Too bad we can't track her."

I smiled. Ranger's eyes narrowed on me, "You're up to something Babe."

"I put one of my trackers in her purse. All you have to do is call Rangeman and tell them my tracker that's moving needs to be assigned to her."

Ranger did exactly that. We got up to leave a few minutes later and Ranger walked me to the Cayenne. I felt Rand's hostile gaze on us the whole time. Ranger leaned in and kissed my cheek and I started the Cayenne and headed out. When I got back to Trenton, I stopped at the Tasty Pastry because I had a sudden craving for Boston Creams. I added a couple extras because I knew Casey liked them as well. When I reached Rangeman I headed to the 4th floor and knocked on Hector's door. I had gotten a couple jelly filled donuts just for him because those were his favorites. Hector invited me in and I shared my donuts with them. Casey made us coffee and I had to admit he made one excellent cup of coffee.

While we were enjoying our breakfast, I told them about the night before and that the attacker ended up being Rand. Hector and Casey were laughing so hard they had to set their coffee down so they didn't spill it. By the time we finished breakfast, I was feeling loads better. I headed upstairs to my cubicle.

Rand's POV:

I woke up still feeling like my eyes were on fire. I had the devil's own time getting ready with my eyes burning and the cast on my left hand. How could one small woman create so much havoc. She was lethal and should come with her own hazard warning for crying out loud. I finally managed to shower and shave, and once I was dry I pulled on a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. I ran a brush through my hair and brushed my teeth and I was ready to go. Ranger and I were meeting a man in Deal at 10 a.m. I slipped on a pair of sunglasses to protect my eyes and grabbed my keys and weapons before heading out. I met Ranger in his office and we headed down to the garage. I slid into the passenger seat of his Turbo and we were underway.

I liked riding with Ranger because he got in his zone and didn't need a constant stream of chatter when he was driving. I used the time to think about my run ins with one Stephanie Plum. That woman was going to be the death of me yet. I'd already had more than I wanted of her in Seattle, but to come here and find out she was the paragon Ranger had dig up my information was more than I could grasp at the moment. And this damn tingling every time I got close to her, what the hell was up with that? Its not like she was drop dead gorgeous or anything. Okay, I'll admit she was sexy, but she wasn't my type. My co-worker Heather was more my type, sophisticated beauty.

I was still furious about last night, although I hated to admit I was partly responsible for coming up to her in the dark and taking her arm. One second I was glad I had blocked her knee, and the next moment I was in excruciating pain from the pepper spray. I had just staggered to my feet when Ranger and Tank arrived. I weaved my way towards them and tripped on something lying on the ground. Next thing I knew I was going down. I put my hand out to stop the fall and excruciating pain radiated from my left hand. Tank ran me to the hospital where they gave me drops for my eyes and put a cast on my hand since it was broken. Three and a half hours later he drove me back to Rangeman.

When we arrived at the bar in Deal, Ranger got a spot next to the door. We got out and went inside. We had been waiting 15 minutes when Ranger's phone rang. He took it out and connected the call, "Yo." He paused for a couple minutes and then disconnected the call. He grinned and said, "Alexander called and said the meeting will start at 10:30. We have another half hour to wait. Have you had breakfast?"

I shook my head. "It took me longer than anticipated to get ready."

Ranger motioned for someone and in seconds a waitress was standing next to us. "You got menus?"

She smiled and handed us a couple sheets of paper that had their menu listed. We ordered and once the food came I dug in. Ranger had ordered coffee. The food was surprisingly very good. I had finished and was just taking a drink of coffee when the door opened and who should enter? None other than my personal torturer Stephanie Plum. She was on the arm of an older gentleman and they made their way over to a table. Ranger stood and I followed suit. I took out some bills and tossed them on the table to pay for the meal and followed Ranger over to the table. We sat down and I felt that damn tingling again. I looked over to Ranger and something about the way he was looking at Ms. Plum irritated the shit out of me.

I learned the old man was none other than Alexander Ramos and the reason for the meeting being delayed was because _Stephanie_ couldn't be bothered to get up on time. Ranger said something about her never disappointing and I mumbled something about him speaking for himself. Then we got down to business and I learned the reason I wasn't getting anywhere on the case is because I had been sold out. The Stewarts knew I was a fed. What surprised me even more was Heather walked into the bar and Alexander did a vanishing act and then Stephanie told me not to say anything to Heather because she couldn't be trusted. I agreed, but only out of respect for Ranger. When Heather left Ranger said it was too bad we couldn't track her. Stephanie told him she put one of her trackers in Heather's purse.

When Ranger walked her to the Cayenne and kissed her cheek I wanted to rip his face off. I shook it off and headed to the Turbo to wait. When Ranger joined me we got in and headed back to Trenton. On the way back I felt restless and the quiet was getting on my nerves. Finally, when I could stand it no longer I turned to Ranger and asked, "Why would Alexander Ramos delay a meeting for her?"

Ranger chuckled, "You'll understand once you get to know her. She's quite a woman."

"That tells me nothing."

Ranger glanced over at me and I could swear he smirked, but it was gone instantly. He continued, "A few years ago there was an incident and I asked her to keep an eye on someone for me. One thing led to another and she ended up in Deal. Alexander was eluding his guards one day and climbed into her car. By the time the case was over, he'd given her a marriage proposal. There isn't much Alexander won't do for Stephanie. Delaying a meeting is nothing."

I nodded and we continued on in silence as I digested this new information.

_Well, now you know Rand is feeling the tingling too. I have to laugh at some of the reviews I'm getting because its like some of you are inside my head. I love all the comments. I never know when something you say or something I'm telling you in a review will spark an idea. Thank you to all the guests that are sending reviews. I love hearing from all of you. _


	23. Meeting Grandma Mazur

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **_

Chapter 23: Meeting Grandma Mazur

Stephanie's POV:

I had been working for a several hours when my phone rang. I answered it and winced when I heard my grandma Mazur's voice on the line. "Hey grandma. What's up?"

"There's a viewing tonight and I need a ride. This is a good one. The deceased was caught cheating on his wife and she took a machete and chopped it off. There's a betting pool on whether the undertaker was able to sew it back on or not. I got $20 bucks riding on this."

I rolled my eyes and tried to get out of it, "Uh, gee grandma, I'd love to take you but I'm awful busy right now….."

My mother got on the phone and said, "If you ever want another dessert, you'll take your grandmother to the viewing. And if she gets into any trouble its your responsibility."

"Sure ma." I asked what time the viewing was and hung up. I bit my lip and knew I was going to need backup on this one. I stood up and stretched, slowly making my way to Ranger's office. I opened the door and found Rand and Ranger in the middle of a discussion.

Ranger smiled and motioned me in. "What's up Babe?"

"Uh, my grandma needs a ride to a viewing tonight. I think I'm going to need some back up."

Rand started laughing. Ranger and I both turned to him. Ranger smiled at him wickedly and my eyes narrowed in speculation. Ranger asked, "You think you could manage a little old lady Rand?"

Rand stopped laughing but continued to grin, "I think I could manage even with only one good hand."

Ranger nodded, "There you go Babe. Rand will be your backup tonight."

"What if grandma slips past him?"

Rand's shook his head and chuckled, "Then I will be at you beck and call for 24 hours."

I raised my eyebrows and hesitated before saying, "Alright. You have yourself a deal. If my grandmother creates a scene, you will have to do my bidding for 24 hours."

Rand gave a mocking bow. I could see all the guys whipping their foreheads, grateful they weren't in the hot seat. I saw several smirks and evil grins. They after all, knew my grandma's reputation as well as had firsthand experience in dealing with her. I could see money exchanging hands and grinned because I knew the guys were betting on how long Rand would last against my grandma. There was no one betting on Rand coming out of this the winner though. I smiled and crooked my finger saying, "Let's get this show on the road. We have exactly 10 minutes to get to my parent's for dinner or the chicken will be too dry."

Although neither one of us were dressed for the funeral home, I knew my mother would forgive us as long as we managed to keep grandma from doing anything embarrassing. We rode the elevator down to the garage and I could feel Rand's gaze on me. I turned to see him smiling at me as if he was looking forward to this. I rolled my eyes and kept my mouth shut, not wanting to give him any clues that this might not be as easy as he thought. I got in the Cayenne and waited for Rand to shut the door and fasten his seat belt before I turned the vehicle on and pulled out of the garage. We made it to my parents with seconds to spare. My mom and grandma were waiting for us at the front door. Grandma was looking Rand over like he was fresh meat and my mom had a gleam in her eyes like she was expecting an announcement to go with dinner.

I led the way to the table and made sure Rand got the best seat….right beside grandma Mazur. I lowered my head and grinned to myself the first time he jumped. I sent him a glance from the corner of my eye and noticed he was sending me daggers. I raised my head and gave him an innocent look, but I don't think he was buying it. We had roast chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and green bean casserole. For dessert my mother had made a pineapple upside down cake. I moaned with my first bite and turned to see if Rand was enjoying his food. He was staring at me with a glazed look on his face. I kept my gaze locked on his face and took another bite of cake and let loose with another moan. His eyes darkened and the heat he was generating was making it extremely_ hot_ in the room. I widened my eyes and turned back to my cake to quickly finish up.

I took a last drink of ice water and sat back in my seat. "I guess we should head to the funeral home."

My mother crossed herself, "Remember if she gets in any trouble, I'm holding you responsible."

I winced and stood up. I noticed Rand looked extremely cocky about the coming outing. I bit my lip and determined to keep quiet till it was over. I wasn't giving him any forewarning. I led the way to the Cayenne and Rand helped grandma into the back passenger seat. I heard him swear softly as he shut the door and smiled to myself knowing she'd probably gotten a good feel that time if the smile on her face was any indication. I had to park 5 blocks away once we reached the funeral home. I walked with grandma and Rand walked a couple steps behind grandma.

We entered the funeral home and the two men standing there directing mourners suddenly paled and their eyes widened in horror. One of them had a button in his hand and he started pressing it repeatedly. We stepped up and grandma said she was here for the Donatello viewing. The man standing closest to us started listing to the side and his partner propped him back up. We were directed to the right slumber room by a shaky finger. Grandma whispered loudly that they must be overdosing on coffee. I smiled non-committedly and we continued on our way. Just as we were headed up to where the deceased was laid out, I felt a hand on my arm pulling me. I turned to see a smiling Joe Morelli.

He leaned in and whispered, "Don't tell me you actually volunteered to bring your grandma here Cupcake."

I glared at him, "No, I didn't volunteer, I got drafted and if she gets to that casket before I do because you pulled me away I'm telling my mother that its all your fault."

Morelli paled and did his best to get us through the crowd to the casket. Morelli hadn't counted on just how fast my grandma was. We were still a distance away when there was a scream and several gasp followed by a, "Well I'll be danged if they didn't go and staple the sucker on him. Good thing he was dead or that would have hurt like a son of a bitch." There was a flash and more screaming. When Morelli and I broke through, grandma was standing beside the casket and the deceased's pants were undone and his stapled penis was on display for all to see. I saw another flash and noticed the newspapers chief photographer and head writer were standing right there in the mix of things.

I turned and glared at Morelli. "Like I said, I'm telling my mother you deliberately pulled me away from grandma."

Morelli shuddered and gave a grimacing smile, "I guess I need to stay out of your mother's sights for the foreseeable future."

I hurried over and grabbed grandma. I glared at Rand who was just now joining us and asked, "And where the hell were you? You were supposed to stop her from getting into trouble."

Rand growled, "How was I to know she's got the fastest hands in the world. One second she's coping a feel and the next instant she pulls out a damn stun gun and presses it against my arm and hits the juice. You didn't need back up for this, you needed a full scale assault team."

I glared at him again and took grandma by the arm to lead her out of the funeral home. When we passed the directors, one was muttering, "We're ruined. We're ruined." While the other one was saying, "Do you think they would convict me if I strangled her?" I picked up our pace and got grandma out of there as fast as possible. I stopped at Rangeman so Rand could get out and told him to get plenty of sleep because he was going to need all his energy for what I had planned. Next I drove grandma home. I walked in with her and winced as my mother glared at me.

I took a deep breath and told her, "I was right beside her and then Morelli came up and grabbed my arm and pulled me away from her. I told him he better get me up there before anything happened but he failed."

Her eyes narrowed and then she got a gleam in her eyes, "So Joe pulled you away from your grandmother so you wouldn't be able to stop her?"

I nodded, "Sounds good."

She nodded. "Leave Joseph to me. I put some things in a sack for you." The gleam in her eyes freaked me out a little but I shrugged and figured better Morelli's head on the chopping block than mine.

I grabbed the bag and headed back out to the Cayenne. My phone started ringing. "Hello."

"Hey Beautiful. We need to know who won the pool."

"We were there less than 10 minutes. Grandma copped a feel then stunned him and got to the casket before we could stop her. She had the pants down and exposed the fact they stapled the penis on him. There were pictures taken for the newspaper. Morelli was there and pulled me away from them and when he realized why I was there he tried but failed to get us there in time to stop it. The good thing is I told my mom it was Joe's fault so she has her sights on him instead of me."

There was hysterical laughter on the other end. I waited a beat and then asked, "Did you put me on speaker Les?"

More laughter. "Alright guys. But I want to know who won when I get there tomorrow. I'm headed home to bed now and I have to figure out what to do with Rand for 24 hours."

More laughter was my response. I shook my head and disconnected the call. I headed home and dressed for bed. I was asleep the minute my head hit the pillow.


	24. The Gangs All Here

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **_

Chapter 24: The Gangs All Here

Stephanie's POV:

I was pulled from a very erotic dream where my dream lover was taking me to highs I'd never experienced before. I slapped at the offending noise but it continued. I sighed and opened my eyes. Damn! No dream lover in residence but my body was on heightened alert. I closed my eyes and tried to bring up the image of my dream lover but all I could recall was a delicious, 6' 3" powerful build of darkly tanned male with not a spare ounce anywhere. He was obviously an alpha male and would fit right in with Ranger and the Merry Men. His face remained a mystery to me no matter how I strained to see his features. Every inch of me tingled with awareness. I gave up my efforts of trying to get a better look at my dream lover and climbed out of bed. I picked up my alarm clock and set it back on the nightstand. I headed into the bathroom and showered and shampooed my hair. Once I was dry I pulled on an old pair of jeans, a gray t-shirt and my Doc Martins. I brushed my hair out and then pulled it back into a ponytail. I added a touch of makeup before grabbing my purse and making my way out of my apartment and downstairs to the Cayenne.

I ran through McDonald's on my way to Rangeman and was drinking the last of my coke when I pulled into the garage. I grabbed my bag of trash and headed up to 5. The minute I got off the elevator, Ram stood from his seat at his cubicle and came over to great me. He had a wrapped box in his hands and a mile wide smile on his face. I grinned as I accepted the box he handed me. "Let me guess, you won the pool."

He laughed and replied, "I sure did. I thought you deserved a reward." He leaned forward and kissed my cheek as the stairwell door opened and Rand stepped out onto the floor. He scowled at us as he continued on to Ranger's office. I thanked Ram for the gift and headed to my own cubicle to set my things down before heading off to Ranger's office. I opened the door and heard a growled, "Does she never knock." and Ranger's response of, "My door is always open to Stephanie."

I glanced at Rand before turning my attention to Ranger. "Did you hear?"

Ranger grinned, "About your granny exposing the deceased at the funeral home, everybody heard Babe. Its on the front page of the paper."

I rolled my eyes, "So, does he start now or do I need to wait till this case you're working on is over?"

Ranger glanced at Rand who was looking a little pale and smiled. He collected the papers they were working on and replied, "Actually it would work out perfectly if Rand was seen with you. He wants Stewart to believe the reason he's in Trenton is to visit with his brother and get to know the people he works with. I have Diaz shadowing them for a few days so he can make it look real and Hector and Casey have been made aware of the possible danger."

I turned to Rand, "So it looks like you're mine for the next 24 hours."

Rand had his blank look on and merely nodded. I grinned and added, "Since I finished the file I needed to work on, I thought I would head to the bonds office today and see if Connie had the files copied for me."

Ranger sent an amused glance Rand's way and asked, "Are you dressed?"

Rand sent Ranger a look that promised murder, "I'm always dressed."

Ranger smiled his full 200 watt smile and added, "I hope you brought lots of clothes with you. If you give me your sizes I'll have Ella rustle you up some Rangeman gear."

The look of disdain on Rand's face was priceless, "I'll make do with my own thanks all the same."

Ranger shrugged and kissed my forehead. "I'd tell you to try not to break him Babe but that's already happened. Call me if you need anything."

"Thanks Ranger." I turned and headed for the door. I turned to see Rand still standing there and crooked my finger at him saying, "Come on lover boy, let's get this show on the road."

Rand gave me a look that promised retribution. I smiled and sent Ranger a finger wave and made my way towards the elevator. I had just fastened my seat belt when Rand opened the passenger door and climbed in. He slammed the door and did up his own seat belt and we were on our way. I stopped at the Tasty Pastry and turned to Rand. "You need to get two dozen donuts. I'll wait here."

Rand stared at me for several seconds before heading in to do as requested…..alright, ordered. He came back out with a large box and set it in the back before climbing in the front and redoing his seatbelt. In no time I was parking in front of the bonds office. I got out and made my way into the office, leaving Rand to follow behind with the donuts. When he joined us his hands were empty. I frowned and told him, "You forgot the donuts."

Without a word he turned and slowly walked back to the Cayenne. Connie and Lula lost no time in giving me the third degree. "Mmm, mmm, mmm. Girl where did you find that_ fine_ specimen of manhood?" Lula asked.

"That's Casey's brother. We met in Seattle and we didn't exactly become friends."

Connie wanted to know, "Then what's he doing with you here?"

"Have you seen the paper?"

"Oh yeah!" from both Connie and Lula.

"Well since he failed in his duty of keeping grandma from getting in trouble, he's at my beck and call for the next 24 hours."

Lula put a hand on her hip, "Damn Girl! And you're wasting that time here instead of getting that fine ass in bed?"

I rolled my eyes, "He's a jerk."

Lula nodded, "Well yeah I can see he's like that and all but I still bet he's excellent in the sack, you see what I'm saying?"

At that moment Rand came back in and with Lula's words fresh in my mind I gave him the once over as did Lula and Connie. Rand moved uncomfortably and inched closer to where I was standing. He reached out and put his hand at my waist. Lula and Connie's eyes got huge ad I felt the jolt all the way to my doodah. Damn! This was a complication I just didn't need. I grabbed the files from Connie and headed for the door. When I got in the driver's seat of the Cayenne I noticed Rand and Lula were both at the front passenger side door and Lula looked like she was in rhino mode.

I powered down the windows to hear Lula telling Rand, "Just cause you gotta do Stephanie's bidding don't mean you get the best seat. I've been her skip chasing partner for a long time now and I earned that seat. You be hauling yo ass in the back."

Rand's eyes narrowed and his tone hinted 'Don't push me' as he replied, "I'm riding with her today and she won't need your…._help_."

_Uh oh_. Before Lula hit full Rhino mode I hollered out the window, "Rand get in back. If you two aren't in this car in two seconds I'm leaving without you." I started the engine and they both scrambled into the car. I headed for Mooner's as I'd noticed his file was once again in my stack. It didn't take any time at all before I was knocking on Mooner's door.

Mooner answered and the minute he saw me he smacked his forehead. "I can't believe I forgot again dudette. Come on in. The Trouble With Tribbles is just coming on and I gotta see this one."

I stepped inside and Lula followed. I had found a surprise free seat and turned to the TV when Rand stood in the doorway and cleared his throat. "Do you always let the skips dictate when they'll come with you?"

"No. But Mooner's a friend and it won't hurt us to let him watch this show before we take him to the police station."

Rand didn't reply, but from his pointed look I got the impression he didn't think much of my bounty hunting skills. I shrugged it off and continued watching the show. Rand finally sat down and I winced when he started cursing under his breath. He stood and I couldn't help the sputter of laughter that escaped when he turned around and I saw the chocolate pudding and brownie mixture clinging to his ass. Rand drilled me with a furious look but remained standing and silent till the show was over and Mooner came out to the Cayenne with us. I fished out a blanket from the back for Rand to sit on. I pulled into the Rangeman garage on the way to the police station so Rand could change clothes. He was back in less than 10 minutes.

The minute he had gotten out of the Cayenne and headed for the stairs, my phone rang. "Hello?"

"Did you break him again Babe?"

I couldn't help the laughter that escaped before I told him, "No. We picked up Mooner and he sat in chocolate pudding and brownie. I thought I'd let him change before we headed for the police station."

Ranger chuckled, "Be safe Babe."

It didn't take long to get my body receipt, but I didn't appreciate Robin Russell's comments to Rand while we were there. I mean where does she get off offering to show him around town? I sent her a glare before we headed back outside. I leafed through the files and picked Tony Cabruzzi. He was actually more in Ranger's scope of experience but because it was a low bonds he landed in my pile. I thought about calling Ranger for back up but the decided Rand could use this guy to make up for letting grandma get loose. I handed him the file so he could read over the information and headed for Tony's home address.

I had just pulled up when Rand spoke up from the back. "I don't think it's a good idea that you go after this guy. He's more Ranger's speed."

I turned to face him, "Ah, but I have you to help me today so there's no need."

"And if I had two good hands that would be fine, but what if he gets by me? Who's going to stop him from getting to the two of you?"

I smiled, "Don't worry. We won't let him hurt you." I turned to Lula and said, "You go to the back and keep your stun gun handy."

She nodded and got out to go around back. I made my way up to the front door with Rand close beside me. I could feel the steam pouring off him. When we reached the front door I whispered, "Stand over there so he won't see you."

Rand refused to move from my side. I rolled my eyes and rang the doorbell. Tony Cabruzzi stood 6'5" tall and weighed in at about 450 pounds. My eyes widened as I got my first look. I smiled and sent him a finger wave. "Hi. My name is Stephanie Plum and I work for your bond agent Vincent Plum. It seems you missed your court date and he asked me to come down here and take you down to get rescheduled."

Cabruzzi smiled and it wasn't pretty. I saw Lula creeping up behind him and just hoped she had enough juice in her stun gun to put this guy out or we were going to be in serious trouble. Cabruzzi took a step towards me and put his hand out and pushed me off the porch. Unfortunately for Rand he was standing slightly behind me and the force of the push knocked me into him and he fell too. I landed right on top of him and heard him swearing. I was able to make out Lula connecting the stun gun to Cabruzzi's arm and his stunned look of surprise at the same moment he swung his arm and Lula went sailing through the air in our direction. I quickly rolled to the side but Rand didn't have the same chance and he let out a grunt as Lula landed on top of him. I saw Cabruzzi staggering towards us with an unfocused look in his eyes and dug in my purse for my own stun gun. I made sure it was on and ready and just before he reached to grab Lula I pressed the stun gun to his hand and pressed the trigger, not letting go until he went into convulsions and fell over, landing on top of Lula and Rand.

I got my handcuffs out and quickly got them on his wrists and then I called Ranger to see if he could send Bobby and a couple of the guys to help us out. There was stunned silence for several seconds before Ranger replied, "We're on our way Babe."

_Don't worry, Rand's day is nowhere near done. Next chapter will continue from here. Hopefully that will be later today. I hope you don't mind getting multiple chapters in a day. What can I say, I'm motivated and I like to post the chapters once they are done. _


	25. The Day Is Not Over Yet

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **_

Chapter 25: The Day Is Not Over Yet

Stephanie's POV:

Two black SUV's pulled up. Ranger, Tank, Hector and Casey were in one and Lester, Bobby, Ram, and Cal were in the second one. As soon as they got out, I noticed most of the guys were bent over laughing. Only Ranger and Tank had straight faces. The guys walked over and it took Tank, Ranger, Lester and Ram to get Cabruzzi off of Lula and Rand. Hector and Casey helped Lula up and Bobby checked Rand over before letting him get up. Bobby shook his head as he took in the condition of the cast on Rand's hand. He turned and said we'd need to swing by the hospital so they could put a new cast on. Rand looked like he was in more than a little pain. I guess I'd be feeling a little pain too if I had 700 pounds lying on top of me.

Bobby helped Rand stand as Carl and Big Dog pulled up at the curb. They got out and walked over to where we were standing. Carl smiled and reached out to pull a curl as he asked, "What's happening?"

"I got Tony Cabruzzi, but he was a little reluctant to go back to the station so he could reschedule his court date."

Carl shook his head, "No wonder. His charges got bumped and he was looking at going back to jail till his trial. Felony assault with a few extras thrown in."

I looked at Rand's slightly smug face and shrugged, "I got my skip, that's all that matters."

Carl threw his arm around my shoulders and pulled me over to the squad car as he relayed the rest of the information that had previously been missing from Cabruzzi's file. I realized what a close call we had. Carl told me they would take him in for me and then he grinned and asked, "What did Morelli do to your mom?"

I frowned, "Why?"

He laughed and shook his head. "You'll see for yourself next time you're at the station."

I headed back to where Rand was standing and asked him and Lula if they were ready. As we said goodbye to Ranger and the others, I noticed the way Rand was looking at Casey and Hector. I spoke quietly so only he would hear, "They love each other."

Rand's tone was gruff, "That's obvious. I just wonder what the hell I did wrong that my brother needed to turn to men instead of being able to love a woman."

"That's just plain stupid talk. Nothing you said or did ever, could make Casey gay. Its a part of him just like your blonde hair and green eyes are a part of you. He didn't wake up one day and decide, Rand screwed up my life so I'm going to start being gay. Get over yourself and realize you did a great job raising your brother. He's comfortable with the person he is. Accept him and move on."

Rand stared at me for several long moments before he climbed in the Cayenne. We headed for the hospital and two hours later Rand had a new cast on his left hand and instructions to take better care of his hand. We had just gotten in the Cayenne when my stomach growled. I rolled my eyes and asked if anyone had a preference for lunch. Lula said she was in the mood for a meatball sub so we headed to Pino's. Rand looked less than thrilled with our lunch choice and he asked for a salad for his meal. I rolled my eyes and went for the meatball sub and coke. Lula ordered a meatball sub and a small pizza. While we were eating several of the cops stopped by and asked what Morelli did to piss my mother off. I shrugged and asked why but all any of them said was I was sure to see the results when I got to the station. By the end of lunch, Lula was chomping at the bit to get our next skip so she could see what my mom had done to Morelli. Rand was glowering at all the cops who'd come over to chat with us.

When my cousin Eddie stopped by to chat I smiled and asked, "Are you going to tell me what my mom is supposed to have done to Morelli?"

Eddie shook his head, "You have to see this one for yourself. Its good." He nodded to Rand, "Who's your friend?"

I glared in Rand's direction, "This is Tho…" at Rand's narrow eyed star promising retribution if I dared say the name he hated, I bit my lip and continued, "This is Rand. I met his brother Casey in Seattle and he moved back to Trenton with us. Rand is here visiting his brother and last night he was supposed to keep grandma from getting into trouble. Since he didn't he gets to do my bidding for a day."

Eddie laughed and turned to Rand, "Hope your medical insurance is up to date." and he sauntered away.

Rand didn't seem thrilled with our popularity. I set some money on the table and asked if they were ready to go. We headed out and I grabbed the top file and sighed. Lula asked what was the matter and I told her we had a repeat. I asked her if she was ready to go after Norville. Her eyes got big and she said throw food Norville and I nodded. She smiled and turned to Rand commenting she was looking forward to this one.

We arrived at the address and I headed to the back and pulled out the rain poncho I kept back there and the rain hood. I didn't care if it was 120 degrees in the shade, I had no intention of going into that apartment without the gear I was putting on. I offered Lula and Rand the same equipment, having extra but they both declined. Rand's eyes were twinkling at my expense but I knew before the day was out our roles would be reversed. Lula's comment was with Rand there he'd be Norville's obvious target and she'd slip by him food free.

I knocked on the door and it was opened quickly enough. Norville pouted when he saw I was completely covered up but the pout lifted when he saw Lula and Rand. His eyes lit up. We no more than entered and the food started flying. Norville had thrown his last egg, once again pelting Lula's hair when I finally stepped up to him and stunned him. I got the handcuffs on and looked up to see Rand and Lula standing beside me. Although Rand had avoided the eggs, his cast had enough wet food on it I knew we would be heading to the hospital once again. Lula had a whole dozen eggs in her hair and they were already beginning to set. Not only that but there was yolk running down the leopard print spandex top she was wearing. The black micro mini skirt she'd managed to squeeze herself into had taken a pelting as well. We managed to get Norville out to the Cayenne and down to the police station. I led him in to the docket lieutenant and got my body receipt. Lula was holding her own being inside the station as she wanted to see what my mother had done to Morelli.

When it came it was unexpected. Morelli sounded more pissed than when I had a car blow up. "Cupcake! Look what your crazy mother did to me."

I turned and stood staring at him in stunned horror. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you what happened! She invited me to lunch today, said she had something important to ask me. Then as I was sitting at the table she comes in carrying a bowl of what looks to be mashed potatoes and asks me why I stopped you and pulled you away from your grandma at the funeral home. I told her it was an accident, I wasn't aware you were there with your grandma. She nodded like all was forgiven and brought the bowl over towards the table. Then when she got even with me she _pretended_ to trip and upended the bowl on my head. I figured I could handle a bowl of mashed potatoes on my head and call it good so I thought nothing of it. Your mom took the bowl off my head and I asked to use the sink to wash the potatoes out of my hair. Your mother smiled and offered to help me. I should have run a mile. She ran the water over my hair and the stuff kept getting heavier. I finally told her I'd have to swing home and take care of it later because I had to get back to work."

I nodded, too stunned to comment. I noticed Lula's eyes were bugging out of her head as she took in Morelli. Joe continued his story. "I was on my way back to work and was driving past my barber's shop so I decided to head in and let him deal with the mess. He took one look and asked me what happened. I told him the story figuring since he was taking care of my hair it was the least I could do. Imagine my horror when he shook his head and said there was only one thing he could do to get it all out. He _SHAVED MY FUCKING HEAD CUPCAKE! YOUR CRAZY MOTHER PUT WET CEMENT ON MY HEAD AND THEN SHE GOT IT ALL WET AND ADDED SUPER GLUE!_"

I couldn't help it, I really couldn't. I burst out laughing. Lula joined in until Morelli growled and snarled at her, "I don't know what you're laughing about. That egg crap in your hair is going to have to be cut out too. Wouldn't surprise me if you ended up with a shaved head too!"

Lula looked like a deer caught in headlights. I did the best I could to control my laughter and told her we could stop by her hairdressers on the way back to the bonds office. Rand held up his broken hand, "Is that before or after I get a new cast?"

I started chuckling again and said, "Guess we should get going. See you around Morelli."

"Not if I see you first Cupcake!"

I pulled into the Rangeman garage and told Rand to get cleaned up and I'd drop Lula off at the hairdressers and come back for him. He nodded and headed for the stairs. When we reached the Beauty Shop where Lula got her hair done, she wailed, "I don' want my head shaved."

"It'll be okay. I'll be back as soon as I take Rand to get a new cast."

I crossed my fingers and hoped Lula fared better in the hair department than Morelli had. I once again pulled into the Rangeman garage and Rand was waiting for me. He climbed in and I drove him to the hospital. When the doctor finished casting his hand this time he looked very sternly at both of us and said the next time he had to cast the damn thing he was admitting him to the hospital for the duration. Rand assured him it was an off day. The doctor looked at me and frowned. He thought I looked familiar. I told him I had one of those faces and we hightailed it out of there. A few minutes later I pulled up to the Beauty Shop to see Lula walking out the door with a big, floppy hat on her head. She climbed in the back and slammed the door. I bit my lip and asked how it went.

I could see Lula's bottom lip protruding, "Don' wanna talk about it."

My eyes widened and turned around to focus on the road. "Uh, do you want me to drop you back at the bonds office or do you want to come with to pick up Leroy Vanlightner?"

Lula grunted, "I suppose I might just as well go with you."

I headed in the direction of Leroy's house. I pulled into the curb and Rand asked, "Is this guy a food thrower?"

I grinned, "You don't need to worry about that. This guy is a pyromaniac. He was arrested for arson."

Rand grimaced, "Great."

Lula went to the front door this time and Rand and I went to the back. I heard the sounds of Leroy heading in our direction when Lula knocked on the front door. Suddenly the back door opened and Leroy came barreling out only to run into the gun in Rand's right hand. Leroy took one look at the expression on Rand's face and held his hands up in the air. I pulled out my handcuffs and slipped them onto his wrists. As we walked around the front of the house, I smelt the distinct odor of burning car. I stopped when we got to the front lawn and looked on in horror as the Cayenne was engulfed in flames. Leroy smiled and I turned on him and glared before bringing my knee up and connecting with his groin. The smile disappeared and Leroy was on the ground writhing in agony.

Leroy whined, "What was that for?"

"That was for torching my car. I_ liked_ that vehicle."

About that time the fire department arrived along with a couple of cop cars and three black SUV's. Ranger stepped out of the SUV he was driving and I could see his smile from where I was standing. I was about to make my way over when the water from the firehouse came in our direction and in a bid to keep Rand's cast from being ruined again, I ran the few steps to where he was standing and took a flying leap to knock him out of the path of the water. He landed hard and I came down on top of him. His good hand came up to rest on my hip and he laughed wryly and said, "Just put me out of my misery now and shoot me."

I punched his shoulder and pushed myself up. Ranger was standing there beside us and he held out a hand to Rand. Once Rand was standing we turned back towards the burning Cayenne. My eyes widened as I saw Lula standing there fighting a losing battle in keeping her hat on her head. When the hat finally dissolved, Lula gave a shriek and covered her bald head with her arms. I noticed Ranger and the rest of the Merry Men silently laughing and the look of unholy pleasure on Tank's face was priceless.

Ranger wrapped his arm around my neck and said, "Come on Babe. I'll give you a lift home. I need to talk to you about doing a distraction later this evening."

"What about Lula?"

Ranger grinned, "I'll have Tank take her back to the bonds office."

I sighed and turned to Rand, "Come on lover boy, looks like our work isn't done for the day."

_Oh man_! If looks could kill I'd be 6 feet under.


	26. The Distraction

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **_

Chapter 26: The Distraction

Rand's POV:

Today had been the day from hell and it wasn't over yet. As we made our way to Stephanie's apartment I read through the file Ranger had on the skip he was going to have Stephanie "distract" for his team. I was pissed for some reason when I finished reading through the material. He was supposed to love her yet he was willing to use her to get this monster. What the hell is he thinking putting her in danger like this? She doesn't stand a chance with this guy and Ranger's handing her to him on a platter.

When Ranger pulled up by the back door of her apartment I stayed put in the SUV while he got out and walked her to her apartment. I narrowed my eyes and determined to make myself part of the group going to that bar tonight. If Stephanie got drunk after 2 drinks, there was no way she'd hold her liquor to deal with this skip. I might not like her friendship with my brother, but there was no way I could let her go into this alone.

It didn't take long before Ranger returned to the vehicle and climbed in. He didn't bother looking over to me when he said, "You're pissed because I asked Stephanie to help us get this guy."

I shrugged, "For a man who professes to love her you sure aren't afraid to get her killed."

Ranger's eyes narrowed and I sensed a tension in him. "I do love Stephanie and I would give my life for hers. She is highly capable of doing this job. If you think you can follow orders you can join us and see for yourself."

I turned and stared at him with narrowed eyes. After several seconds I replied, "I'll go. She needs someone to watch her back."

Our eyes locked. We were both pissed. Finally, he started the SUV and headed towards Rangeman. When he got to the garage he got out, leaving the keys in the ignition. He paused long enough to say, "She likes Italian."

I nodded even though he couldn't see me. "We had Pino's for lunch."

Ranger shrugged, "Then you might try Chinese." and with that he headed for the stairwell door.

I got into the driver's seat and headed back towards Stephanie's apartment. I found a Chinese restaurant on my way and put in an order. I carried the food up to her apartment and knocked on the door. After a couple seconds she opened the door with a smile.

Stephanie's POV:

Ranger parked beside the back door of my apartment building and turned off the SUV so he could walk me up to my apartment. He briefed me on the skip they were going after that night. Clarence Marlow was a high bond skip who targeted women in their late twenties, early thirties and once he'd raped them he strangled them and posed them for photographs. He would send the photos to the police with clues as to the whereabouts of the body. I shivered as Ranger told me about the skip. He left me in the hall while he went in and searched my apartment, once he was sure everything was all clear. I walked in and we discussed the plan for the night and I told him I'd be ready at 9.

I sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. I had some time before I needed to get ready. I was watching the Yankees game when I heard a knock on the door. I went to the door and looked through the peephole to see Rand standing there so I unlocked the door and opened it with a smile on my face. "Come on in. What's in the bag?"

"Ranger suggested Chinese. I got a variety."

I took a deep whiff and moaned, "It smells delicious."

I set the bag on the table and started pulling out boxes. My eyes widened at the quantity of food he'd brought. I went to the cupboards and got down a couple plates and then I grabbed utensils to dish up the food as well as to eat it with. We both fixed our plates and took them over to the sofa. I set my plate on the coffee table and asked him if he wanted a coke, beer, or water to drink. Rand chose water so I grabbed 2 and headed back to the sofa. I handed him his and sat down beside him to eat. We watched the game as we ate, going back to the kitchen for more from time to time. When I was finally full I set the plate down and leaned back on the sofa.

Rand glanced over at me and then back to the TV. He seemed upset about something but I figured he'd say something if he wanted me to know. After a few minutes he turned to me and asked, "Why do you let Ranger use you like this?"

I frowned, "Ranger's not using me. I'm helping him. When they have a dangerous skip they can't get any other way, I help them out by going into the bar and get them to leave with me. Ranger usually has a guy on the bar as well as bouncers at the door. There are guys inside in case they are needed and the minute I get the skip out the door the guys are there to take him down. I wear a wire so the guys are aware if I'm having a problem or if the skip deviates from what's planned. I choose to help them because I know what will happen to the next defenseless woman the man runs across. She won't have Ranger and the Merry Men backing her up."

Rand's eyes widened at my use of Merry Men. He looked at me for several minutes but said nothing. We continued to watch the game for a while longer. When it was time for me to get ready, I stood and headed for the bedroom. I showered, letting my hair get wet but not going through the motions of shampooing it. I looked through my closet and pulled out a barely there little black dress and a pair of delicate FMP's. I quickly dressed and then started working on my hair, getting it to curl just right. Next I worked on my makeup. I needed extra courage tonight so added extra mascara. Just as I was finishing getting ready, there was a knock on the door. I called out and asked Rand to get the door.

As I walked out to the other room I noticed Ranger and Rand were locking gazes. I went over and placed a hand on Ranger's arm. He stared a few more minutes at Rand before turning to me with a smile. He looked me over and grinned, "You're going to knock his socks off Babe."

Ranger handed me the wire and I turned to get it in place. When I turned back to them I noticed Rand looked slightly dazed. I frowned but he seemed to get control and turned a blank face to me. I smiled and asked if they were ready. Ranger held out his arm and I smiled and took hold of him. When we got downstairs I was surprised he hadn't brought the Turbo. Ranger chuckled and said Rand wouldn't fit in the back. Ranger helped me up into the passenger seat and then went around to get in. Rand got in behind me. We made good time, pulling up outside Nightshades at 9 on the dot.

Ranger turned to me and smiled, "Go get him Tiger."

I rolled my eyes and hopped out of the SUV. I made my way inside the bar and Lester pointed out the skip. I had just taken my seat at the bar, making sure to leave a seat between us when I felt the tingling start. I glanced back and noticed Rand had slipped in and was sitting in the back where it was darkest. I turned my attention back to the job before me. Binkie stepped before me behind the bar and asked for my drink order. I ran my tongue over my lip and told him to surprise me. Binkie blushed and went to get me my drink. The skip chuckled.

I turned to Marlow and gave him a sultry smile. He looked me over and I suddenly felt nervous at the sick gleam in his eyes. I put the feeling behind me and continued to do my job. I flirted, danced, and let him touch me to draw him farther into the web we were casting for him. It only took him 15 minutes to suggest we move to his place. I smiled my agreement and he wrapped his arm around my waist and plastered me to his side. I cringed at the feel of him but gritted my teeth and walked out with him.

We had just stepped outside when Marlow said to me in a low voice, "I know who you are Ms. Plum, and I know what's about to happen." I turned to look up at him and he smiled that sick smile, "Till we meet again."

I saw the knife when it was too late to react. Marlow was swinging it towards me when suddenly the knife was kicked out of his hand and he was ripped away from me. I felt myself starting to fall but Tank was there to catch me. I turned and saw Rand was wiping the floor with Marlow. The fact he only had one good hand wasn't slowing him down any. I'd never seen someone move so quickly or elegantly. He was performing moves I'd only seen that actor perform on that show about a Texas Ranger. Ranger was getting several hits in as well. Finally Marlow went down and stayed down. Rand knelt down beside him and said something, but I was too far away to hear it. Ranger laughed and said something else but I couldn't hear that either. Ranger cuffed Marlow and pulled him up on his feet. When he took him towards where Hector and Vince were standing and handed him over to them, Ranger said something to them and the expression on Hector's face turned stony.

Ranger placed a hand at my waist and we headed in the direction of his SUV. He drove me to my apartment and both he and Rand walked up to my apartment. Ranger made sure there were no surprises waiting for me and then Rand and I walked in as well. Ranger kissed my forehead and told me to sleep in. I wanted so badly for him to stay and hold me but I just nodded and went in to take a shower. I needed to get the feel of Marlow off my skin. I thought I heard a heated discussion while I was in the shower but the apartment was dark except for the light in the bedroom when I came out after blow drying my hair. I made my way in to the bedroom and slipped the t-shirt I usually slept in over my head and climbed into bed. It took a while for sleep to come and when it did it was a restless sleep. I kept having visions of Marlow coming after me, his hands on me.

_Okay, the next chapter will at least in part be a re-hash of the day from Rand's POV. _


	27. Another Look

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **_

Chapter 27: Another Look

Rand's POV:

I sat in the dark as I waited for Stephanie to finish in the shower. The look on her face when Ranger dropped her off…I hated the bruised look in her eyes from the contact she'd had with that piece of garbage. I was still pissed with Ranger for putting her in a position where that asshole could be near her let alone touch her. I'd watched as Ranger kissed her forehead preparing to leave. She left to take a shower and I knew it was because she needed to wash the feel of the bastard Marlow from her skin, even if she couldn't wash him from her mind. I figured Ranger would be spending the night with her so I was getting ready to head out when I saw him moving towards the door. I asked him where he was going and he told me back to Rangeman. When I asked him what if she needed him, I even asked him if he didn't see how much she wanted him to hold her. The asshole said something about that would only confuse her more if he spent the night. He continued on towards the door and I grabbed his arm with my good hand and said I thought he loved her. He turned and I knew I was lucky he was reining in his anger. He said he gives her all he can of himself but he can't be what she needs. I knew there were things I didn't know about Ranger, things no one knew. He told me they'd already come to an understanding and he wasn't going to confuse the issue for her because she could get hurt worse than he'd already hurt her. All they could be was friends. I saw the look in his eyes and I'd seen that look before.

I released him and shrugged, "Then I guess it's a good thing for her I still owe her some time."

Ranger drilled me with his gaze, "You're staying?"

I nodded, "I'm staying."

His eyes narrowed, "If you hurt her, there won't be a hole on the planet where you'll be safe."

I met his gaze, "In case you didn't see it, she needs someone. You're saying it can't be you, I'm the only one left here. I have no intention to hurt her, just make sure she's okay."

After several seconds he nodded and turned to go. I heard the hair dryer turn on and I settled down on the sofa. It wasn't the most comfortable place I'd slept, but it wasn't the worse either. I heard the dryer turn off and the bathroom door opened. I closed my eyes when she stepped from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her naked body. I had a better idea of what was under that towel since seeing her in that barely there little black dress earlier. I heard the towel hit the floor and clenched my good hand as I heard her pull on a nightie of some sort. Not seeing what she was putting on only made my imagination work overtime. I heard her slip between the covers and the click from her turning off the lamp. Damn! It was going to be a long night.

I tried to sleep, but her couch was not conducive to sleeping. I got as comfortable as possible and thought back over the day. I had come out the stairwell door to see her talking with one of Ranger's men. The guy was kissing her on the cheek. I scowled and continued on to Ranger's office. I had only been in there a few moments when the door opened and she walked right in. I growled and asked, "Does she never knock." Ranger's response was, "My door is always open to Stephanie."

Stephanie turned and glanced at me before turning her attention to Ranger, asking him, "Did you hear?"

Ranger grinned, "About your granny exposing the deceased at the funeral home, everybody heard Babe. Its on the front page of the paper."

Stephanie rolled her eyes, "So, does he start now or do I need to wait till this case you're working on is over?"

Ranger glanced my way and smiled before gathering up the papers we were looking at and replying, "Actually it would work out perfectly if Rand was seen with you. He wants Stewart to believe the reason he's in Trenton is to visit with his brother and get to know the people he works with. I have Diaz shadowing them for a few days so he can make it look real and Hector and Casey have been made aware of the possible danger."

Stephanie turned to look at me and said, "So it looks like you're mine for the next 24 hours."

I gave her my blank look and nodded. Stephanie grinned and added, "Since I finished the file I needed to work on, I thought I would head to the bonds office today and see if Connie has the files copied for me."

Ranger sent an amused glance my way and asked, "Are you dressed?"

I sent him a glance that promised I would get even and told him, "I'm always dressed."

Ranger smiled and added, "I hope you brought lots of clothes with you. If you give me your sizes I'll have Ella rustle you up some Rangeman gear."

I gave him a look of disdain and replied, "I'll make do with my own thanks all the same."

Ranger shrugged and kissed Stephanie's forehead. "I'd tell you to try not to break him Babe but that's already happened. Call me if you need anything."

Stephanie told Ranger thanks and turned to head for the door. She turned and when she saw I was still standing there she crooked her finger at me and said, "Come on lover boy, let's get this show on the road."

I gave her a look that promised I would get even with her and followed her out the door. She took the elevator and I needed to expand some energy so I took the stairs to the garage. She was just fastening her seat belt when I climbed in and slammed the door before putting my own seatbelt on. She pulled out of the garage and headed out. We stopped at someplace called the Tasty Pastry and she turned to me and told me to go in and get 2 dozen donuts. I stared at her for several seconds before I got out and headed into the shop. I got the _requested_ donuts and headed back out to the Cayenne. I set the donuts in the back before climbing in the front and putting on my seatbelt. Minutes later she was pulling up in front of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. Stephanie got out and headed into the bonds office and I followed. When I got inside she frowned and told me I forgot the donuts. I went slowly back out and got them out of the SUV. When I went back into the bonds office all three women were giving me the once over. I moved closer to Stephanie and put a hand at her waist. I felt the jolt all the way up my arm and I had to move slightly to relieve the pressure behind the zipper on my jeans. _Shit!_ This was a complication I didn't need.

Stephanie grabbed some files off the Betty Boop look a like's desk and headed for the door. I followed her out and noticed the big, black woman had joined us. She had fire engine red hair, and was wearing a leopard print spandex top and a black micro mini skirt she'd managed to squeeze herself into. We both reached for the front passenger door handle at the same time.

Lula, as I later learned was her name, looked like she was about to have a cow and said, "Just 'cause you gotta do Stephanie's bidding don't mean you get the best seat. I've been her skip chasing partner for a long time now and I earned that seat. You be hauling yo ass in the back."

I narrowed my eyes and in a 'Don't push me' tone I replied, "I'm riding with her today and she won't need your…._help_.",

Stephanie powered down the window and hollered out, "Rand get in back. If you two aren't in this car in two seconds I'm leaving without you."

She started the engine and I took her at her word and scrambled into the back seat. She pulled up in front of an apartment building and we followed her to the door. The guy who opened the door looked like a real stoner. He smacked his forehead and said, "I can't believe I forgot again dudette. Come on in. The Trouble With Tribbles is just coming on and I gotta see this one."

Stephanie walked inside as did Lula. I watched them sit down and stayed at the doorway and cleared my throat. "Do you always let the skips dictate when they'll come with you?"

Stephanie replied, "No. But Mooner's a friend and it won't hurt us to let him watch this show before we take him to the police station."

I sent her a pointed look thinking she wasn't much of a Bounty Hunter if this was how she operated, but I remained silent. I finally decided to sit down and the second my ass hit the chair I felt a squishy substance that made me shudder. I stood and turned around to find chocolate pudding and brownie pieces clinging to my ass. Stephanie sputtered with laughter and I sent her a furious look but stood silently until the show was over and we could finally get the hell out of there. When we got to the Cayenne she pulled a blanket out of the back for me to sit out and I rode in silence. I was glad she stopped by Rangeman so I could change before we headed to the police station. It took me no more than 10 minutes before I was back in the Cayenne.

When we reached the police station I went in with her while she got her body receipt. There was a pretty officer talking to the docket lieutenant and I talked to her for a few minutes while Stephanie was getting her paperwork. The woman introduced herself as Robin Russell and she offered to show me around town while I was there. I got the impression she was offering more than her services as a guide and I smiled at her to be friendly. Stephanie seemed a little abrupt when she said it was time for us to leave but I silently followed her back to the SUV where Lula looked like she was getting ready to bolt. Once we were back in the vehicle she pulled out a file and read through it before handing it off to me. I read over the information she had on Tony Cabruzzi and when she stopped in front of his house I spoke up saying, "I don't think it's a good idea that you go after this guy. He's more Ranger's speed."

Stephanie turned to face me, "Ah, but I have you to help me today so there's no need."

I replied, "And if I had two good hands that would be fine, but what if he gets by me? Who's going to stop him from getting to the two of you?"

She smiled, "Don't worry. We won't let him hurt you." then she turned to Lula and said, "You go to the back and keep your stun gun handy."

Lula headed around back and Stephanie and I made our way towards the front. When we were at the front door she whispered for me to stand to the side so he wouldn't see me. I refused to move from her side. She rolled her eyes and rang the doorbell. I got a bad feeling when the 6'5", 450 pound behemoth opened the door and she sent him a finger wave and gave him her name and why she was there. The giant smiled and it wasn't pretty. Cabruzzi stepped towards her and put his hand out to push Stephanie off the porch. Unfortunately I was standing behind her and the force sent us both backwards off the porch and we fell with her landing on top of me. I swore and about that time I saw Lula flying through the air as Stephanie rolled off me and Lula landed on top of me. I let out a grunt and noticed Cabruzzi staggering towards us. He reached out towards Lula and Stephanie pressed her stun gun to his hand and hit the juice. Cabruzzi went into convulsions before landing on top of Lula who was still on top of me. I felt like I had a Mack Truck on top of me and neither one of them was moving. Stephanie fished her phone out and from the conversation I knew she was calling Ranger. Shit! I so didn't need this.

Within minutes two black SUV's were pulling up. I recognized Ranger, Casey, and the Hector. They got out and Ranger and three others got Cabruzzi off of me and Casey and Hector got Lula off. Another man came over and knelt beside me, checking me out before letting me get up. He shook his head as he looked at my cast and said we'd need to swing by the hospital to get it re-casted. All I knew was my hand hurt like a son of a bitch and my body wasn't far behind after that 700 pound tackle. The guy checking me out helped me stand as a police car pulled up to a stop and two cops got out. The one cop asked what was going on and Stephanie told them she got Cabruzzi but he was reluctant to go to the station. The cop told her no wonder because his charges got bumped up to felony assault with a few extras thrown in. She looked over to me and I know my expression was more than a little smug at being right. She shrugged and said, "I got my skip, that's all that matters."

The cop threw his arm around her shoulders and pulled her over to the squad car. I didn't like the familiarity he was showing her and wished I was closer to hear what they were saying. She headed back to us and asked if we were ready. She was saying goodbye to Ranger and I was watching Casey and Hector. Stephanie stepped closer to me and said, "They love each other."

My tone was gruff, "That's obvious. I just wonder what the hell I did wrong that my brother needed to turn to men instead of being able to love a woman."

"That's just plain stupid talk. Nothing you said or did ever, could make Casey gay. Its a part of him just like your blonde hair and green eyes are a part of you. He didn't wake up one day and decide, Rand screwed up my life so I'm going to start being gay. Get over yourself and realize you did a great job raising your brother. He's comfortable with the person he is. Accept him and move on."

I stared at her for several long moments thinking about what she had just said. I had to ask myself if I would have been able to accept Casey's being gay if our parents had lived and they'd been the ones to finish raising Casey. I had to admit it wouldn't bother me as much. I made my way to the Cayenne and we headed for the hospital. Two hours later I had a new cast on my left hand and instructions to take better care of my hand. Once we were back in the Cayenne, Stephanie's stomach growled. They agreed on Pino's which wouldn't have been in the top hundred of places I wanted to go. I looked over the menu and was even less thrilled. I chose a salad and water. Stephanie ordered a meatball sub and coke, and Lula ordered a meatball sub and a small pizza. Several cops stopped by while we were eating and asked what Morelli did to piss Stephanie's mother off. She shrugged and asked why but all any of them said was she was sure to see the results when she got to the station. By the end of lunch, Lula was chomping at the bit to get the next skip so she could see what Stephanie's mom had done to Morelli.

I glared at the cops stopping by wondering when all of this was going to stop. The last one to stop seemed to be more friendly with her than I thought he should have been. She smiled at him and asked, "Are you going to tell me what my mom is supposed to have done to Morelli?"

He shook his head, "You have to see this one for yourself. Its good." He nodded to me, "Who's your friend?"

Stephanie glared in my direction, "This is Tho…"

I sent her a look that promised she wouldn't like the consequences if she finished that sentence. She bit her lip and continued, "This is Rand. I met his brother Casey in Seattle and he moved back to Trenton with us. Rand is here visiting his brother and last night he was supposed to keep grandma from getting into trouble. Since he didn't he gets to do my bidding for a day."

The cop laughed and turned to me, "Hope your medical insurance is up to date." and he sauntered away.

We left shortly after and once we got to the car she grabbed the top file and sighed. Lula asked her what was wrong and Steph told her they had a repeat. When she said his name Lula's eyes got huge and she said the food thrower and Steph nodded. Then Lula smiled and turned to me saying she was looking forward to this one. When we got to the address, Stephanie pulled a rain poncho and rain hood on. It was all I could do not to burst out laughing at the sight she made. It was a warm day and she had to be cooking in the added gear. She offered Lula and I the same gear but I declined, my eyes twinkling at the picture she made. Lula commented with my being here I'd be the obvious target and she'd slip by food free.

Stephanie knocked on the door and it opened quickly. You could see the pout on Norville's face when he saw the way she was dressed, but the second he looked at Lula and me the pout disappeared and his eyes lit up. We no more than stepped inside and the food started flying. I managed to avoid the eggs but there was enough food on my cast that I knew it was ruined. I glanced at Stephanie and noticed she didn't have a speck of food on her. Guess Norville didn't want to waste his ammunition when he couldn't hit the desired target. Stephanie finally stunned him and got the cuffs on him. I looked over at Lula and noticed the eggs had found a home after all. I winced knowing once the eggs dried she'd have a hell of a time getting them out of her hair without cutting it. I couldn't help but smile at the fact her plan of me wearing all the food didn't work. We finally got Norville in the Cayenne and down to the police station. Steph led him to the docking lieutenant and got her body receipt.

Suddenly a pissed of male voice was saying, "Cupcake! Look what your crazy mother did to me."

Stephanie turned and stood staring at the newcomer in stunned horror asking, "What happened?"

"I'll tell you what happened! She invited me to lunch today, said she had something important to ask me. Then as I was sitting at the table she comes in carrying a bowl of what looks to be mashed potatoes and asks me why I stopped you and pulled you away from your grandma at the funeral home. I told her it was an accident, I wasn't aware you were there with your grandma. She nodded like all was forgiven and brought the bowl over towards the table. Then when she got even with me she _pretended_ to trip and upended the bowl on my head. I figured I could handle a bowl of mashed potatoes on my head and call it good so I thought nothing of it. Your mom took the bowl off my head and I asked to use the sink to wash the potatoes out of my hair. Your mother smiled and offered to help me. I should have run a mile. She ran the water over my hair and the stuff kept getting heavier. I finally told her I'd have to swing home and take care of it later because I had to get back to work."

Stephanie nodded, too stunned to comment. Lula's eyes were bugging out of her head as she took in the guy in front of us. He continued his story. "I was on my way back to work and was driving past my barber's shop so I decided to head in and let him deal with the mess. He took one look and asked me what happened. I told him the story figuring since he was taking care of my hair it was the least I could do. Imagine my horror when he shook his head and said there was only one thing he could do to get it all out. He _SHAVED MY FUCKING HEAD CUPCAKE! YOUR CRAZY MOTHER PUT WET CEMENT ON MY HEAD AND THEN SHE GOT IT ALL WET AND ADDED SUPER GLUE!_"

Stephanie and Lula burst out laughing until the guy growled and turned to snarled at Lula, "I don't know what you're laughing about. That egg crap in your hair is going to have to be cut out too. Wouldn't surprise me if you ended up with a shaved head too!"

Lula looked like a deer caught in headlights. Stephanie tried to control her laughter and told Lula we could stop by the hairdressers on the way back to the bonds office. I held up my broken hand, "Is that before or after I get a new cast?"

Stephanie started chuckling again and said, "Guess we should get going. See you around Morelli."

"Not if I see you first Cupcake!"

Stephanie pulled into the Rangeman garage and told me to get cleaned up and she'd be back as soon as she dropped Lula off at the Beauty Shop. I nodded and headed to the stairs. I quickly showered and shampooed my hair, not caring how wet the cast got since it was ruined anyway. I got dressed and grimaced as I noticed I had one change of clothes left. I sure as hell hoped I didn't need them or I'd have to eat crow and accept the offer of clothes from Ranger. I was waiting in the garage when she pulled back in and I climbed in the front passenger seat. Good thing Stephanie had the blankets or I'd be needing more clothes. I climbed in and she headed for the hospital. When the doctor finished casting my hand this time he gave both of us a stern look and said the next time he had to cast the damn thing he was admitting me to the hospital for the duration. I assured him it was an off day. The doctor looked at Stephanie and frowned. He thought she looked familiar. She told him she had one of those faces and we hightailed it out of there. Stephanie pulled up in front of the Beauty Shop a few minutes later and Lula was walking out the door with a big floppy hat on her head and her bottom lip was sticking out a mile. Steph asked her how it went and she responded, "Don' wanna talk about it."

Stephanie asked her, "Uh, do you want me to drop you back at the bonds office or do you want to come with to pick up Leroy Vanlightner?"

Lula grunted, "I suppose I might just as well go with you."

We headed in the direction of Leroy's house. Stephanie pulled into the curb and I asked, "Is this guy a food thrower?"

Stephanie grinned, "You don't need to worry about that. This guy is a pyromaniac. He was arrested for arson."

I grimaced, "Great."

Lula went to the front door this time and Stephanie and I went to the back. I heard the sounds of Leroy heading in our direction when Lula knocked on the front door. Suddenly the back door opened and Leroy came barreling out only to run into the gun in my right hand. Leroy took one look at the expression on my face and held his hands up in the air. Stephanie pulled out her handcuffs and slipped them onto his wrists. As we walked around the front of the house, I smelt the distinct odor of burning car. We stopped when we got to the front lawn and looked on as the Cayenne was engulfed in flames. Leroy smiled and Stephanie turned on him and glared before bringing her knee up and connecting with his groin. The smile disappeared and Leroy was on the ground writhing in agony.

Leroy whined, "What was that for?"

"That was for torching my car. I_ liked_ that vehicle."

About that time the fire department arrived along with a couple of cop cars and three black SUV's. Ranger stepped out of the SUV he was driving and I could see his smile from where we were standing. Suddenly Stephanie ran the few steps to where I was standing and took a flying leap to knock me out of the path of the water. I landed hard and Stephanie came down on top of me. My good hand came up to rest on her hip and I laughed wryly and said, "Just put me out of my misery now and shoot me."

She punched my shoulder and pushed herself up. Ranger was standing there beside us and he held out a hand to me. Once I was standing we turned back towards the burning Cayenne. Lula was standing there fighting a losing battle in keeping her hat on her head. When the hat finally dissolved, Lula gave a shriek and covered her bald head with her arms. I noticed Ranger and the rest of the guys silently laughing and the look of unholy pleasure on one guy's face.

Ranger wrapped his arm around Stephanie's neck and said, "Come on Babe. I'll give you a lift home. I need to talk to you about doing a distraction later this evening."

"What about Lula?"

Ranger grinned, "I'll have Tank take her back to the bonds office."

She sighed and turned to me, "Come on lover boy, looks like our work isn't done for the day."

I sent her a withering glare. Today had been the day from hell and it wasn't over yet. As we made our way to Stephanie's apartment I read through the file Ranger had on the skip he was going to have Stephanie "distract" for his team. I was pissed for some reason when I finished reading through the material. He was supposed to love her yet he was willing to use her to get this monster. What the hell is he thinking putting her in danger like this? She doesn't stand a chance with this guy and Ranger's handing her to him on a platter.

When Ranger pulled up by the back door of her apartment I stayed put in the SUV while he got out and walked her to her apartment. I narrowed my eyes and determined to make myself part of the group going to that bar tonight. If Stephanie got drunk after 2 drinks, there was no way she'd hold her liquor to deal with this skip. I might not like her friendship with my brother, but there was no way I could let her go into this alone.

It didn't take long before Ranger returned to the vehicle and climbed in. He didn't bother looking over to me when he said, "You're pissed because I asked Stephanie to help us get this guy."

I shrugged, "For a man who professes to love her you sure aren't afraid to get her killed."

Ranger's eyes narrowed and I sensed a tension in him. "I do love Stephanie and I would give my life for hers. She is highly capable of doing this job. If you think you can follow orders you can join us and see for yourself."

I turned and stared at him with narrowed eyes. After several seconds I replied, "I'll go. She needs someone to watch her back."

Our eyes locked. We were both pissed. Finally, he started the SUV and headed towards Rangeman. When he got to the garage he got out, leaving the keys in the ignition. He paused long enough to say, "She likes Italian."

I nodded even though he couldn't see me. "We had Pino's for lunch."

Ranger shrugged, "Then you might try Chinese." and with that he headed for the stairwell door.

I got into the driver's seat and headed back towards Stephanie's apartment. I found a Chinese restaurant on my way and put in an order. I carried the food up to her apartment and knocked on the door. After a couple seconds she opened the door with a smile. "Come on in. What's in the bag?"

"Ranger suggested Chinese. I got a variety."

She took a deep whiff and moaned, "It smells delicious."

She set the bag on the table and started pulling out boxes. Her eyes widened at the quantity of food I'd brought. She went to the cupboards and got down a couple plates and then grabbed utensils to dish up the food as well as to eat it with. We both fixed our plates and took them over to the sofa. After setting her plate on the coffee table she asked if I wanted a coke, beer, or water to drink. I chose water and when she came back to the sofa she set two waters on the coffee table. We watched the game as we ate, going back to the kitchen for more from time to time. When we were finally full we set the plates down and leaned back on the sofa.

I glanced over at her and then back to the TV, upset about the situation she was placing herself in. Finally I asked, "Why do you let Ranger use you like this?"

She frowned, "Ranger's not using me. I'm helping him. When they have a dangerous skip they can't get any other way, I help them out by going into the bar and get them to leave with me. Ranger usually has a guy on the bar as well as bouncers at the door. There are guys inside in case they are needed and the minute I get the skip out the door the guys are there to take him down. I wear a wire so the guys are aware if I'm having a problem or if the skip deviates from what's planned. I choose to help them because I know what will happen to the next defenseless woman the man runs across. She won't have Ranger and the Merry Men backing her up."

My eyes widened at her use of the term Merry Men. I looked at her for several minutes but said nothing. We continued to watch the game for a while longer. When it was time for her to get ready, she stood and headed for the bedroom. I stared unseeing at the TV screen thinking about the danger she was going to be in. I didn't understand Ranger letting her do this. I was brought back to the present when a knock sounded on the door and she asked me to get the door. Ranger stood there and our gazes locked. I didn't care if he knew how pissed I was with what he was doing and we were still there when Stephanie walked out of her bedroom. She walked over and placed her hand on Ranger's arm. Although Ranger and I were still staring at each other, I was aware of the knock out who came out of the bedroom. She was dressed in a barely there little black dress with matching delicate 5"heeled shoes and she looked stunning with her hair loose and curled. Ranger and I continued to stare at each other a few more moments before Ranger looked over to her and grinned, "You're going to knock his socks off Babe."

Ranger handed her the wire and she turned to get it in place. I couldn't take my eyes off her. I finally got control and put on my blank face, not wanting to give anything away. We went downstairs and Ranger helped her into the front passenger seat and I got in behind her. I was aware of Ranger making a joking comment about me not fitting into the back of the Turbo. It was 9 on the dot when we pulled up in front of Nightshades.

Ranger turned to Stephanie and smiled, "Go get him Tiger."

Stephanie had just taken her seat at the bar when I walked in and took a seat in the back where it was darkest. I saw her turn and knew she was aware of my presence. She turned her attention back to the job and I watched as she flirted and danced and let that bastard touch her for 15 minutes. I saw the way she cringed at his touch and knew she'd have problems when this was over. I clenched my good hand to stop myself from going over and pulling him away from her. Finally, they stood and he wrapped his arm around her waist, plastering her to his side. I saw her cringe but she managed to move with him to the door. I was close enough to hear him say, "I know who you are Ms. Plum, and I know what's about to happen." She turned to look up at him and he smiled that sick smile, "Till we meet again."

I saw the knife he pulled and I acted kicking it out of his hand and then I ripped him away from her. I was in a deadly rage and I threw everything I had at the bastard for daring to touch her. I was vaguely aware of Ranger being there and he got in a few good shots at the skip as well. Finally Marlow went down and stayed down. I knelt down beside him and whispered in a deadly soft voice, "You will forget you ever met her. If you even look her way, I will find you and it won't be pretty. _ Understand_?"

Marlow looked into my eyes and I knew what he saw. I could sense his fear. He nodded. Ranger laughed and told Marlow, "If he doesn't scare you, then you can always take your chances with me." Marlow paled even more. Ranger pulled him to his feet and cuffed him before walking him over to Hector and another man. Ranger said something I couldn't hear, but the look on Hector's face turned stony.

Ranger went over to Steph and put a hand at her waist and led her over to the SUV. He drove her to her apartment and checked to make sure there were no surprises. We entered and she went to shower which led me to where I was now on her sofa. I turned and then stilled as I heard the whimper. I stood and headed into the bedroom. She was tossing and turning and thrashing about. I went over to the bed and called her name softly. She paused for a moment but then her motions turned jerky and her whimpers got stronger. I gently slipped into bed beside her and took her in my arms. She stilled for a minute and then settled, snuggling closer. I stared at her in the darkness for several seconds before closing my eyes and letting sleep come.

_Okay, I know this was a VERY LONG chapter and there was a LOT of stuff you already have read, but this is Rand's view of things. Hopefully it gave you a look at his side of things._


	28. Morning After

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **__By the way M, yes that is where I got "Lover Boy" from. Dirty Dancing is one of my favorite movies, so that will clue the rest of you in._

Chapter 28: Morning After

Stephanie's POV:

I felt warm and safe and oh so comfortable. I stretch and realized I was half laying on top someone and stilled. I wondered if Ranger had come back after all last night. Right now I was too content to worry about it so I just settled back against my human pillow. I vaguely heard the sound of my locks tumbling and thought whoever was coming in was in for a huge surprise. I smiled and snuggled closer to the warm body beside me. I had only been sleeping another 5 minutes when a sudden tension in the air led me to believe there was trouble brewing and it was necessary for me to wake up. I opened my eyes and blinked a few times, my gaze on the door to my bedroom. Hector stood there and there was a ferocious look on his face. I turned to see what he was staring at and I screamed, pulling the covers up around me and exposing the male form in my bed.

Rand winced at my scream and fortunately for him he was dressed in his jeans and shirt. At that moment Casey appeared in my bedroom doorway and laughingly asked Hector if he scared me. Then Casey turned and took in the sight in my bedroom and his smile slipped. He looked grim and I saw his fists clench before he drilled Rand with a narrow eyed glare. "You have 10 seconds to start talking."

Rand's eyes narrowed and he moved me gently off him the rest of the way. He slipped out of bed and stood before the other two and said, "I don't answer to you."

Casey lifted his chin, "So its okay for you to demand answers from me but not for me to demand answers from you?"

Rand ran his good hand through his hair and sighed, "I'm starting to realize I was wrong with the way I tried to change you to fit what I wanted. I'm starting to realize your being gay is just a part of your makeup and not the result of a screw up on my part."

Casey looked stunned, "You actually thought you were the reason I'm gay? Geez Rand, its not like I woke up one day and decided to be gay. Its just who I am."

Rand nodded, "I'm beginning to understand that." his gaze flicked to me.

Casey motioned to me and then Rand, "So, what's this all about?"

Rand rolled his shoulders and replied, "Stephanie did a job last night and I thought she might have some trouble sleeping so I stayed around." his gaze hardened, "Not that I need to explain myself to you."

Hector's eyes narrowed and he turned to me, "You scream."

"I was on my own when I went to bed. I wasn't expecting company when I woke up."

For a minute the tension in the room was thick, but then Hector nodded and said, "We bring breakfast." and he and Casey ducked out of the bedroom.

I turned to Rand, "Uh…"

Rand smiled and leaned down close to me, caressing my cheek with his good hand he said, "Don't worry Sweetness, I won't kiss and tell if you don't."

My eyes widened for a moment and then he straightened and left the room. I got up and quickly dressed in my Rangeman uniform before heading into the bathroom to answer natures call. I quickly brushed my teeth before brushing my hair and pulling it back into a ponytail and adding makeup. I headed out to the kitchen and my eyes lit up as I noticed the donuts. I lifted a Boston Cream and took a bite, moaning with pleasure. I looked up and was snared by the heated look in Rand's eyes.

Casey cleared his throat when I was finishing up with my donut and I turned to look at him. Casey looked nervous. He flicked a glance Rand's way and then turned to me. "Hector and I stopped by because we wanted you to be the first to know."

He paused and I knew Rand's appearance here was making him hesitate. I turned to look and Rand and he was frowning. I punched him in the shoulder and he glared at me. "I think its time for you to go now."

Rand crossed his arms in front of his chest and refused to budge. "I'm staying. My brother has some kind of announcement and damned if I'll let him tell you and not me."

I rolled my eyes and turned back to Casey, ""Just go ahead and say it. If he's a total ass then we just won't invite him along anymore."

Casey looked over to Hector and smiled. The love shining between the two of them was something to behold. "Hector and I have decided to be life partners." With that, Casey showed me the intricate ring he was wearing on his wedding finger.

"Casey this is beautiful. I'm so happy for both of you." I hugged Casey and kissed his cheek before throwing my arms around Hector and hugging him tightly. "I'm so happy for you my friend."

I chanced a glance at Rand and noticed he was staring at the matching rings. He looked into Casey's eyes and I could see Rand's jaw clenching. He held out his hand and when Casey accepted it he said, "Congratulations little brother." Rand turned to Hector and held out his hand. Hector accepted the handshake and Rand continued, "Be good to my brother or you'll answer to me."

Hector smiled, "Si."

I groaned as I noticed the time, "Sorry to break this up guys, but its time to get to work."

Hector looked at me, "You need ride?"

Rand spoke up, "Ranger left an SUV. I'm headed back there to see what Diaz found. I can give her a ride."

Hector asked me, "Who you ride with?"

I bit my lip and glanced at a blank faced Rand and then noticed the gleam in Casey's eyes as he looked at Rand. "I'll ride with Rand. Don't you both have the day off?"

Hector grinned, "We go Point Pleasant."

I grinned, "Have a great time you two."

We all headed down to the parking lot together. I noticed Hector found a spot close to the back door as well. I looked at the other cars to see which of my neighbors were going to be complaining and I saw a dark blue luxury car that didn't belong. I frowned and was going to say something when I felt my stomach bottom out and I saw the barrel of a gun. I shouted, "Get down!" and ducked as the sound of a gun going off was heard.

I felt the weight of a male body covering me and from the tingling I knew it was Rand. I looked over and noticed Hector had covered Casey as well. The luxury car barreled out of the parking lot and took off down the road. We stood and once we were sure no one was hurt, Hector insisted we stay where we were till he checked out the cars. Once he was assured the vehicles hadn't been tampered with we headed out. Casey and Hector went on their way to Point Pleasant and Rand and I headed to Rangeman. I called Ranger as we headed for Rangeman.

The call connected and I got a, "Yo."

"Yo yourself Batman."

"How you doing Babe?"

"Fine now. Someone took a shot at us. Hector, Casey, Rand and I had just come out of my building and I saw a blue luxury car that didn't belong in the lot. About that time I saw a gun barrel and we ducked just in time. Hector checked out the vehicles before they headed to Point Pleasant. Rand and I are on our way in now."

"Did you see anything else?"

I hesitated, not knowing how Rand was going to react to what I had to say next. "I thought I saw a blonde haired woman holding the gun."

I saw Rand shoot me a glance as he continued to drive, but he remained quiet. Ranger asked, "Did you recognize her?"

"Yes. It was the blonde from the bar in Deal."

I felt the heat from Rand's gaze but I kept my gaze on the road in front of us. Ranger replied, "I've got men on it now Babe."

We disconnected the call and I tossed my phone back in my bag. Rand glanced my way and said, "I can't believe Heather would try and shoot us. I've known her for 5 years."

I turned and looked at him, "In all the time you've known her she's never done anything to give you pause?"

Rand remained silent as we continued on our way. When he pulled into the Rangeman garage, we headed up to the 5th floor. I took the elevator and Rand took the stairs. By the time I got to Ranger's office he was already there. Ranger stood and wrapped his arms around me.

Rand's POV:

When Stephanie shouted for us to get down, my protective instincts took over and I covered her. When Hector was checking out the vehicles I stood watching Casey. I was stunned that when danger struck, my brother wasn't my main focus. I was aware of Hector covering Casey when the shot rang out. Maybe this guy had real feelings for my brother. I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. I recalled what Stephanie had said the day before and I was trying to look at the situation differently than I had in the past. When we were on the way to Rangeman and she called Ranger I wanted to rip the phone out of her hand and toss it out the window. Then when I heard her saying she saw a blonde woman behind the barrel of the gun and she recognized her from the bar in Deal, I knew she was referring to Heather. I couldn't believe Heather would shoot at us…at me. Then Stephanie asked if in all the time I'd known her she'd never done anything to give me pause and I had to stop and think. I remembered back to when she was first hired on as an agent. I was on a risky case and she showed up out of the blue at a meeting. She'd pretended to be my girlfriend and when we were alone she said Thominson asked her to get a message to me. Later when I questioned Thominson he said he never sent her. She'd sort of stalked me for a while until I told her I had a rule about having a relationship with someone I worked with. She'd smiled and said all the right things, but I wondered….

I parked the SUV and headed for the stairs. I got to Ranger's office first and made sure to keep my face blank when she walked in. My resolve was tested when Ranger wrapped his arms around her. I wanted to rip his arms from around her but remained where I was. When my eyes met his I knew I wasn't totally successful in hiding my reaction.

_So….was it indeed Heather firing the shot….and if so, who was she firing at?_


	29. Plans

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **_

Chapter 29: Plans

Stephanie's POV:

Ranger's arms felt nice around me. It was weird that just a couple months ago I would have wanted to get up close and personal if he were holding me. Now his arms were still warm and made me feel safe, but the sexual tension that used to be there was totally gone. I had loved him so much and I still did, what did that say about me? Was I incapable of loving someone long term? Could I only love someone if I was sure they loved me? I gave a mental sigh and decided I had enough on my plate right now without worrying about this too. I stepped back and Ranger ran his eyes over me and smiled.

Ranger motioned us to sit down and said, "Diaz is still shadowing the Stewarts. They have settled in and Heather has been by to see them twice. The last time was just a few seconds ago. He called me right after you did. I put Ram on following her."

Rand spoke up, "I still find it hard to believe she's the one that tried to take the shot."

Ranger sent an icy look Rand's way, "Are you doubting Stephanie's word?"

Rand met Ranger's gaze with his own icy look and replied, "No. But I have known Heather for 5 years and I've known Stephanie a few weeks. We're not exactly best friends."

They stared at each other for several tense seconds before Ranger rolled his shoulders and sat down on the edge of his desk facing us. Ranger turned to me and asked, "Any residual issues from last night's distraction?"

I shook my head no even though I still felt a little creeped out. Rand snorted and said in a low tone, "Nothing like hiding in denial land."

I sent him my best Burg glare and sighed turning back to Ranger and shrugging, "I'm still a little creeped out from his touch. That's all."

Ranger nodded. "Vince and Hector got him to the police station. Seems they had to call a doctor to the jail since they weren't taking a chance on him getting loose at the hospital. I talked to Carl this morning and Marlow is furious. He's claiming he'll get even with you Babe so be extra careful. Its never been proven that Marlow's working alone. As a matter of fact, the police are betting there is a partner."

I closed my eyes and groaned, "Shit! That's one more thing I have to watch out for."

"We've got your back Babe."

I looked to Ranger, "I know. But I can't get rid of this feeling in the pit of my stomach."

Ranger gave me a grim look because we both knew what the feeling in my stomach meant. Ranger brought out the papers he and Rand had been studying on several occasions and they plugged in the information Diaz had been able to add. I frowned as I noticed the distance between where the Stewarts were staying and my apartment building. Something about that seemed off but I couldn't put my finger on it. When we finished going over the plans, Ranger looked at me and smiled. I hadn't been paying attention to what they were saying as I was focused on the bit that had started me thinking, trying to figure out why that was bothering me. I looked at Rand to see if I could get a clue but there was no help from that quarter. I turned back to Ranger and asked, "What?"

Ranger's smile widened, "You zoned out. When did we lose you?"

I shrugged, "There's something about the location that's bugging me but I can't pinpoint what it is."

Ranger nodded, "It'll come to you. We came up with a plan but Rand's going to need your help."

Rand broke in, "I don't think this is a good idea."

Ranger shrugged, "It makes sense and it would definitely put the Stewarts off the track."

I was afraid to ask. Unfortunately I'm an incredibly curious, some would say nosey person. "What?"

Ranger smiled his full 200 watt smile and said, "I think you and Rand should pretend to be a couple. I can continue to have Diaz follow the Stewarts and feed Rand the information. Rand can pop up with you by his side from time to time and if they see him the two of you can show them you're only interested in each other and you don't even see them."

Rand's voice was gruff, "You're willing to put Stephanie in a hell of a lot of danger. I think it's a fool's idea."

Ranger threw his head back and laughed, "You just don't want to get that close to her. Stephanie is a very capable person. She can handle this. Besides, I'll have someone shadowing her as a bodyguard. If you run into the Stewarts and they mention the tail, Stephanie can roll her eyes like she does so well and tell them its her curse. That a friend insists on having her shadowed because she never knows when she's going to pick up her next stalker. If they show disbelief she can always tell them to check it out in the papers."

I had to admit it had the potential of working. The only problem was going to be working so closely with Rand. We didn't even like each other, how could we pretend to be a couple. Then I had another thought, I turned to Ranger and said, "What about my mother? If I start going around town with Rand she'll have the wedding planned before the days out."

Rand laughed, "I'd be more worried about your grandmother. Your mom seemed okay at dinner the other night."

I looked at Rand with wide eyes, "Uh huh. But there were no rumors of us being seen around town as a couple."

Rand smirked, "I'm sure you're exaggerating. I don't like the idea of this, but I have to admit it might work."

I paused and bit my lip, I thought about it for several minutes and finally sighed and said, "Fine! But if you find yourself attending our wedding you can't say I didn't warn you. And just so you know, I won't make it down the aisle because I'll be running in the opposite direction."

Rand's gaze was amused as he said, "That's fine because I'll be missing too."

Casey's POV:

Hector did some intricate driving and it seemed like we were going in circles for a while. Finally, we were headed for our destination but Hector never relaxed. He was constantly checking the rearview mirror. When we pulled up to the house where we would be spending the day I was impressed. It was a great house and the view was magnificent. We grabbed the bags of stuff from the back and headed inside. After putting the groceries away we headed to change so we could go for a swim. When he was standing before me naked, it was all I could do not to jump him. He was so gorgeous. Hector turned and our eyes met. I felt his eyes going over me and the temperature in the room just notched up 20 degrees. I saw his eyes darken with desire and knew mine matched his. I wanted him in the worst way. He held out his hand and said, "Swim waits."

We were a mass of bodies as we loved. I was amazed at the emotion he brought out in me. I'd had sex with various partners in the past, but never before had I felt the range of emotion I did when Hector and I were together. He was the other half of me and I would only be complete with him. Our stomachs are what drove us from the bedroom. When they growled in unison we looked at each other and laughed. After dressing in our swim suits we headed out and grabbed a quick bite to eat, then we headed out to the ocean and dove in. We had an amazing day and when it was time to head back to Trenton we were both reluctant to go. Hector pulled me into an embrace and said, "We come back."

I nodded. We shared a passionate kiss then reluctantly made our way out to the SUV. A couple hours later we were pulling into the Rangeman garage. We carried the bags up to the apartment we shared and headed for bed. It had been a long day and I loved every bit of spending it with Hector.

Unknown POV:

I had the target in my sights. Unfortunately the woman saw the gun and shouted, alerting the others. I took the shot, knowing it wouldn't hit the target and then I got out of there. I was furious I'd missed my chance to take him out. I'd been waiting for 5 years for this opportunity and it was blown because of that bitch! My eyes hardened and I let the thought of getting revenge on her play out in my head. I smiled. Why not? After all she was key in Marlow getting thrown back in jail. It was only fair that she pay for that as well as getting in the way of my taking out that bastard! I'd given him all I had and he tossed me aside like I was chopped liver. He'd pay. And he'd pay dearly.

_Okay, I know this chapter is a little on the short side, but I didn't want to give too much away. Do you still think its Heather? If its not Heather, who could it possibly be? Or am I just trying to confuse you so you think its someone else? I love the reviews, you guys are great. I can't believe how close some of you are to what will happen in the story. By the way, I welcome constructive criticism. It doesn't upset me. It helps me to take a look at what I have written and try to find a way to make it better. _


	30. An Alarm Sounds

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **_

Chapter 30: An Alarm Sounds

Stephanie's POV:

I left Ranger's office and headed for my cubicle. Rand headed down to his apartment on 4. I made my way through my in box and spent the next several hours running searches. I stopped at lunch time and went to the break room for a sandwich, and by the time I was finishing up with my last search, the sandwich was but a dim memory. I set the last folder in my out box and stood to stretch. I was starving. I grabbed my purse and went to head out.

I was nearly to the elevator when Ranger asked, "Where you going Babe?"

I turned, "Home."

Uh oh. I knew by the look on his face that I wasn't going to like what came out of his mouth next. "I think you should stay here till we catch the shooter."

My eyes widened, "And just where do you suggest I stay? All the apartments on 4 are taken."

Ranger grinned. Oh no! I shook my head. "No."

His eyes danced. "It would add weight to the story that you two have become a couple."

I paused and had a sudden thought, "Alright. I'll stay at Rangeman. But you'll have to share with Rand and I'll take the penthouse. That way it will still look like I've moved in with him yet we each have our own space."

Ranger chuckled, "Nice try Babe."

I frowned, "I don't even know him. I can't share an apartment with him."

Ranger chuckled, "Relax Babe. Bobby said you can use the apartment he keeps for the guys when they're injured and need round the clock care."

I punched Ranger's shoulder and glared, "You rat. You knew that's where you were going to have me stay the whole time. What about Rex though. I can't leave him in the apartment. What if the person breaks in and hurts him?"

Ranger gave a slight nod, "He's already down there. I had Lester pick him up."

"You didn't by chance have him grab some clothes for me did you?"

"No need. We have the clothes you bought in Seattle here."

"No wonder I couldn't find them when I was looking for a dress for last night."

Ranger's eyebrow went up. "Which one were you looking for?"

"The emerald green one."

He groaned. "Damn! That's one of my favorites. Any chance you'll model it for us?"

I smiled and stuck my tongue out at him, "You snooze you lose." and with that I made my way into the elevator and headed down to the infirmary.

Bobby was in his office doing paperwork. I stopped at the door and said, "Ranger said I could use the apartment down here, that you said it was okay?"

Bobby grinned, "Its all yours Bomber."

"Thanks. Anything I need to know?"

Bobby shook his head, "No. I disconnected the cameras so there are no worries."

I headed into the apartment and went into the kitchen. Sure enough, Rex was on the counter. I opened the fridge and grabbed a couple of grapes to drop in Rex's cage. I noticed there was a pan with a wrap on it and a note from Ella. I smiled as I popped the glass pan into the oven to heat and grabbed a coke. I went over to the sofa and sat down, turning the TV on. The oven timer had just gone off when there was a knock on the door. I opened the door on my way to the kitchen so it wasn't until I had taken my dinner out of the oven that I saw who had knocked on the door. I had just set the pan on the counter when I looked up to see Rand standing in the kitchen not far from where I was standing.

He was frowning, "Don't you ever look to see who's at the door before you open it?"

"We're at Rangeman. This is a secure building and I know all the guys here. None of them would hurt me. For one, they are my friends. Two, if by some remote chance they did hurt me there would be a group of pissed off ex-military men waiting to pound the shit out of them. And three, I know Bobby's still in his office and if there was a danger from the person on the other side of that door he would have called upstairs for reinforcements and you would right now be answering to those guys who'd beat the shit out of you if you hurt me."

Rand just shook his head. "Ranger said you'd be working at the bonds office again tomorrow. I was just wondering how many sets of clothes you thought I might need. I managed to do laundry so everything I brought is now clean, but if I go through them every time we go for skips I thought I'd see about putting in a larger supply of clothes."

I rolled my eyes, "Very funny Einstein. You're such a wit. I on the other hand managed to get by with the one set of clothing. That's a record for me."

Rand's eyes went over me, "Sweetness, I'd be more than happy to see you all covered in garbage."

My eyes widened, "Bite your tongue! I like seeing someone else have the honor of rolling in the garbage for a change."

Rand chuckled and I asked, "What's so funny?"

"I'm just picturing you rolling in garbage. Since our first encounter it seems that I'm the one coming off on the wrong end of things. I just might help the next skip out getting you into the garbage myself."

I gave him a glare and then glanced at the pan, "Do you want to join me? There's plenty. Ella is a great cook."

Rand shrugged, "I guess that would give us more time to get used to being around each other."

I put my hands on my hips, "Don't do me any favors Thorton."

Rand moved and he suddenly had his good arm around my waist and I was up in the air with my back to the wall, our eyes were level and there was a hard look to his face that gave a hint at the dangerous man he was. His mouth was centimeters away from mine when he said in a deadly soft voice, " I warned you not to call me that name again Sweetness." and the next second his mouth came crashing down on mine. He lowered me a fraction of an inch to give himself a better angle and his mouth moved expertly on my own. I was lost in the first seconds of the kiss. The pull was to strong and I found myself opening to the sensual promise of the kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck and seconds later my legs wrapped around his waist. He thrust against me and I moaned. The kiss heated up even more if that was possible and just as I was about to go under I heard a blaring alarm that had us both reeling.

Rand set me on the ground and we were both breathing hard. I looked around to see what could possibly have set the alarm off but could see nothing. A second later there was a knock on the door. I went to answer it only to see Bobby in the hallway laughing his ass off. I put my hands on my hips and glared, "What's so funny?"

Bobby tried to stop laughing but he fell on the floor. He kept trying to get back up but he was laughing so hard he couldn't manage it. I looked up at the camera and knew there were bad ass guys in black on the other side of that camera laughing just as hard. I narrowed my eyes and sent an Italian hand gesture to the camera which only set Bobby off on a whole new laughing tangent. Finally, he lay still for several seconds and I leaned over him and spoke slowly and with as much patience as I could muster. "What the hell is so funny?"

Bobby looked at me, still holding his middle and replied, "Remember I said I took care of the cameras?"

I froze, "Yes." I spoke hesitantly, just knowing I wasn't going to like what was coming.

Bobby chuckled, "I forgot the alarms in case the patient's heart rate increased too rapidly. That was what the alarm was. It was alerting me that the heart rate was going through the roof. The louder the alarm the more serious it is. From the sound of that alarm, it was critical."

I closed my eyes, "So. Let me get this straight. All the guys are now aware that Rand was in my apartment, and that my heart rate increased rapidly. So now they are all guessing just why that was. And you think its freakin' funny?"

Bobby finally got his laughter under control and let out a sigh, "Yeah. That about covers it."

I turned to Rand. "Where's your gun?"

Bobby pulled himself up to stand beside me, "Aw come on Steph. Don't be mad. I really thought I had everything."

I refused to talk to him and went into the apartment. Bobby followed me in and he went over to a box on the wall and pressed some buttons. "There you go Bomber. Its all clear now."

I nodded but refused to say a word. Bobby shook his head and kissed the top of my head before he left saying, "You know we love you Bomber."

I couldn't stay mad at Bobby and I hugged him back. "Are you sure you have everything this time."

"Everything."

I nodded and watched Bobby leave. I turned to Rand and saw he was struggling not to laugh. I sighed, "We might as well eat. Just a warning, you do that in public and there will be no stopping my mother."

"Sweetness, I'm not afraid of your mom. Its your grandma that has me shaking in my shoes."


	31. Crashing Into Destiny

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **_

_Okay, I put it in the story, now I'll see if I can explain the alarm so it makes sense. _

Chapter 31: Crashing Into Destiny

Stephanie's POV:

Rand and I ate the enchilada dish Ella had prepared and talked a little about how we would go about "pretending" to be together in public. It was late when Rand left and I went over to the wall where I had seen Bobby messing around with wires when he shut the alarm off. I looked at the mess of wiring and wondered how he knew which wires were for what. I couldn't figure out how those wires could possibly monitor anyone's heart rate, yet I had no reason not to believe Bobby's explanation. I sighed. I went to the kitchen and fished out my phone.

I hit speed dial for Bobby and I was about to hang up when his groggy voice said, "Lo?"

"Bobby, this is Steph. I need you to come over for a minute."

At first I thought he hadn't heard me but then a couple seconds later there was a pounding on my door. I opened the door and Bobby rushed in asking,"What's the matter?"

"I can't figure out how this works."

Bobby looked at me like I'd lost my mind. He looked at the clock and then back at me. "You called me at 2 o'clock in the morning telling me you_ need_ me because you can't figure out how the sensors work?"

"Well, yeah."

"Shit Steph, I thought you were hurt or something."

"No. I'm okay. I just really want to understand this sensor thing."

Bobby shook his head and came over to where I was standing by the box. He pointed to the wires. "They are hooked to points throughout the apartment. The floor, the wall, the sofa, the bed, everything. When I let you in earlier and forgot to shut the sensors off, they recognized you as the patient. They started monitoring your heart rate. When I saw Rand come in I didn't think anything of it until the alarm sounded and then I realized what must have happened. I was laughing when you answered the door but when I saw the expression on your faces I really lost it."

"But how could it monitor someone's heart rate through the floor and the walls?"

Bobby shrugged, "I'm not a mechanical expert. You'd have to ask Hector on that one. I just know that it works when I have one of the guys staying here."

I shook my head. I turned to Bobby, "You sure it won't go off again? There are no other sensors set up to alarms are there?"

"No Bomber. This is the only one."

I nodded, "Alright. Thanks."

Bobby shook his head and headed back to his apartment. My eyes narrowed as I watched him go. Then I smiled as a thought occurred to me. I wonder what Bobby would do if our roles were reversed? Hmmm, I'd have to see what Hector was doing tomorrow. I went in and crawled in bed deciding I had a lot to look into tomorrow. I smiled as I thought of the possibilities.

I swatted at the alarm when it went off and heard a masculine chuckle. I froze knowing it wasn't Ranger or any of the guys I hung around the most. I opened one eye and saw Rand leaning over me with my alarm in his hand. I glared. My eyes looked at the time and I let out a gasp. Rand raised an eyebrow in question. I sat up, holding the covers to me.

I looked again from the alarm clock to Rand, "Why are you waking me up at 6 a.m.?"

Rand chuckled, "Because we need to get an early start. If I have to be saddled with you then we need to set a few ground rules. One of them is getting up at 6, exercising and then getting ready and having breakfast over by 8 a.m. so we are ready to get going."

I flopped back on the bed and groaned. "Did Ranger put you up to this?"

Rand frowned, "No one put me up to this. This is how I work."

I shook my head. "No exercise and I'll meet you in the garage at 9. We can stop at the Tasty Pastry on the way to the Bonds office." I lay back on the bed and closed my eyes. The next thing I knew I was being lifted in strong male arms and dumped in the shower. Suddenly ice cold water was raining down on me and I was sputtering and trying to catch my breath. I screamed and started swearing. The male laughter faded as Rand left the bathroom leaving me in the shower with the cold water raining down on me. My eyes narrowed and I promised to get even with him if it was the last thing I did.

Since I was already soaking wet, I turned the knob towards the hot side and took a long shower, making sure to shampoo my hair. When I got out of the shower and had dried and dressed, I slipped into a pair of navy blue shorts and a matching blue top with white leaves. I brushed my hair back and added a hair tie and a pair of delicate blue sandals. Once my makeup was on I gathered my things together and made my way to Hector's office. It was nearly 7:30 and Hector raised his eyes when he saw me. I told him about the alarm that had gone off the night before and he started laughing. When I explained what I wanted, he nodded and said Si. He said he would handle it. I smiled and kissed the tear drops before heading down to the garage.

When I exited the elevator, Ranger and Rand were standing talking with Bobby, Tank and Lester. All 5 of them looked shocked to see me in the garage at this hour. Rand grinned and said, "I thought I was going to have to come back and save you from the shower."

I sent him an Italian hand gesture and all the guys laughed. I went over to the SUV we'd been using and climbed into the driver's seat. I turned the vehicle on and was putting it in gear when Rand opened the door and slid inside. I pulled up to the Tasty Pastry and turned to look at Rand. He sat there staring straight ahead. I smiled, "I need 2 dozen donuts."

Rand turned to me and raised an eyebrow, "Your point being?"

I glared at him and took the key from the ignition and stalked into the bakery. I gave my order for the donuts and decided I was going to enjoy my breakfast in peace. I order 2 Boston Creams and a coffee. I sat at one of the tables and slowly ate my breakfast and sipped my coffee. Once I had finished, I threw my trash away and carried the box out to the car. I set the box in the back seat and climbed into the driver's seat. I pulled out into traffic and headed for the Bonds office. There was a car pulling out just as I was pulling up and I couldn't believe my luck. I signaled and pulled forward to back into the space when suddenly there was a sound of metal meeting metal. My eyes widened and I felt a shaking. I looked over to see Rand silently laughing. I sent him a glare and jumped out of the SUV to run back and see who the idiot was that hit me.

I stopped in front of a crumpled Corvette and placed my hands on my hips and yelled, "What were you trying to do?"

The driver's side door opened and I looked up and up and up into the furious brown eyes of an Andre the Giant look-a-like. "I was trying to park."

"That was clearly _my_ parking space. I had my turn signal on and I was clearly parallel parking."

"You weren't in the spot yet. I had just as much right to it as you did."

"Where did you go to driving school? I clearly had the right away."

The giant took a step closer and at that moment Carl and Big Dog pulled up beside us. Carl had a smile on his face as he asked, "What happened here?"

I turned on Carl and glared, "This Neanderthal ran into me when I was trying to park."

"Not true. I was the one trying to park."

At that moment Rand got out of the passenger side of the SUV and came back to join us. He stilled as he took in the driver of the Corvette. I watched as the Giant's eyes widened when he glanced at Rand. Rand nodded, "Hello Jefferson. I wasn't expecting to see you here."

Jefferson's eyes narrowed, "What are you doing here?"

Rand grinned, "My brother moved to Trenton with a friend and I came to see him." He turned to smile at me and continued, "I met Sweetness here and decided to use some vacation time."

Jefferson gave me the once over and grinned, "Guess I see why you'd want to spend some time in the area."

I glared at him and he laughed. "She's got spirit Rand. You sure you can handle her?"

Rand wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me to him. He lowered his face close to mine and grinned, "Oh yeah."

I turned to Rand and narrowed my eyes. He swooped in and kissed me. I moaned as our lips met and let his tongue enter my mouth and dual with my own tongue. There was a discrete cough and we broke apart. My eyes were drawn to Rand. I heard Jefferson apologize for running into me. He handed Rand his insurance card and told him he hoped there were no hard feelings. Rand told him it was all good. Carl wrote Jefferson out a ticket and then Jefferson left in his crumpled Corvette, the front bumper was causing sparks to fly up from the road.

Carl grinned at me and said, "So...does your mom know about your new guy yet?"

My eyes widened, "You wouldn't?"

Carl chuckled, "Not me." he pointed to the sidewalk. There must have been 30 people standing on the sidewalk texting on their phones. I turned to Carl and begged, "Please tell me they didn't take a picture of what I think they did."

Carl laughed, "Wish I could Steph, but I don't believe in lying to friends."

"_Shit_! I so don't need this right now."

I turned to Rand and slugged him in the shoulder. "It's all your fault…I told you, but no….you just wouldn't listen."

Rand took my fist in his hands and kissed it. Then he pulled me towards the Bonds office and said he wanted me to sit down while he took care of the SUV.

_Okay, the next chapter will be from Rand's POV. Anyone know who Jefferson is? Hope the explanation of the sensors monitoring heart rate was somewhat believable. Is there really such a thing? No clue. It was off the top of my head._


	32. A Command Performance

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **_

Chapter 32: A Command Performance

Rand's POV:

I had to laugh when she stormed out of the vehicle and went into the Tasty Pastry to get her donuts. I watched her walk in and couldn't help but admire her ass. She was one _fine_ woman even if she wasn't really my type. I glanced at my watch when she'd been gone 5 minutes, it couldn't be _that_ difficult after all to get 2 dozen donuts. At the 10 minutes mark I got out of the truck and went over to the window. I'll be damned if the little minx isn't in there eating donuts and drinking coffee. I shook my head and headed back to the SUV. I settled in and watched the people walking by on the street. When she eventually came out and set the donuts in the back I just continued staring out the front window of the SUV. There was no way I was going to give her the satisfaction of asking what the hell had taken so long. As we neared the Bonds office I saw the car pulling out of the spot and noticed Steph put her turn signal on to indicate she was taking the spot. She had started backing up when I saw in the side view mirror on her side, the Corvette barreling down the street to get in the spot. I wasn't surprised when the sound of metal hitting metal sounded. Stephanie jumped out of the vehicle and went back to confront the driver of the other car. I was planning on letting her deal with the whole thing until I saw Jefferson Stewarts get out of the driver's side. I saw a police car pull up and recognized the two police officers as ones that Stephanie knew. I got out and made my way back to them.

I stilled as I took in Jefferson. He looked furious and knowing how dangerous he was, I was assessing how best to protect Stephanie. I watched his eyes widen as he saw me. I nodded and said, "Hello Jefferson. I wasn't expecting to see you here."

Jefferson's eyes narrowed, "What are you doing here?"

I grinned, "My brother moved to Trenton with a….friend and I came to see him." I turned and smiled at Stephanie before continuing, "I met Sweetness here and decided to use some vacation time."

Jefferson gave Stephanie the once over and grinned, "Guess I see why you'd want to spend some time in the area."

She glared at Jefferson and he laughed. "She's got spirit Rand. You sure you can handle her?"

I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her to me. I lowered my face close to hers and grinned, "Oh yeah." I was doing my best to give Jefferson a show, even though Stephanie wasn't helping the cause any by going along.

Stephanie turned to me and narrowed her eyes. I swooped in and kissed her hoping to cut off anything she might say that would give the wrong impression. She moaned as our lips met and let my tongue enter her mouth and dual with her own tongue. There was a discrete cough and we broke apart. My eyes were drawn to Stephanie and I couldn't help thinking she was one hell of a kisser. I heard Jefferson apologize for running into her. He handed me his insurance card and told me he hoped there were no hard feelings. I told him it was all good. Carl wrote Jefferson out a ticket and then Jefferson left in his crumpled Corvette, the front bumper was causing sparks to fly up from the road.

Carl grinned at Stephanie and said, "So...does your mom know about your new guy yet?"

Her eyes widened and it looked like she was in a panic, "You wouldn't?"

Carl chuckled, "Not me." he pointed to the sidewalk. There must have been 30 people standing on the sidewalk texting on their phones. She turned to Carl and begged, "Please tell me they didn't take a picture of what I think they did."

Carl laughed, "Wish I could Steph, but I don't believe in lying to friends."

"_Shit_! I so don't need this right now."

She turned to me and slugged me in the shoulder. She packed quite a punch in her small fist. She said, "It's all your fault…I told you, but no….you just wouldn't listen."

I took her fist in my hands and kissed it, thinking it would be a shame if she hurt herself. Then I pulled her towards the Bonds office and said I wanted her to sit down while I took care of the SUV. I went back out and checked out the damage to the vehicle. We definitely fared better than Jefferson's Corvette. I shook my head at the luck at what had just happened. Ranger and I had been talking about ways to let the Stewarts know I was here on vacation and not related to the case I was working on. At this point I was hoping they were still buying that they had me convinced their business was above board. That's the excuse I gave them when I left Seattle. I told them I was closing the case I was working on. I got in and moved the car into the parking spot. I let my gaze wander over both sides of the street looking for possible threats before I got back out and headed for the Bonds office once more.

When I walked in Stephanie was sitting on the sofa beside Lula…at least I thought it was Lula. All I saw was humongous red feathers shooting off in all directions. Steph looked up with a glare as I entered and groaned, "It's all your fault! My mother just called and she expects to see us at 6 tonight for dinner."

I shrugged, "Just tell her we can't make it."

I heard three very distinct gasps. Stephanie's lips were pressed tightly together so that left her out. Connie and Lula were two of the gasps and the other had a slightly more masculine quality to it. I turned towards the inner office door and my eyes widened at the human ferret standing there. He was shaking his head, "Even I know not to cross Aunt Helen. She can make your life miserable with just a look. They take torture lessons from her in third world countries. At least that's what we always thought when we were kids. Hell, I still think it. Steph's grandma has nothing on Aunt Helen. I'd rather be locked in a room alone with grandma Mazur."

I couldn't help laughing, "Sorry Sweetness, but there is no way in hell I am being intimidated by your mom. Your grandma, sure…but your mom was very nice the last time I met her."

Lula looked up at me with wide eyes and it was all I could do not to laugh. She was wearing a green spandex tube top that barely covered her ample chest and an orange mini skirt with yellow 5" shoes. Teamed together with the red feathers she looked like a neon sign in a red light district. Her eyes were wide as she asked, "Did she have a picture of you kissing Steph last time you met her? No. See now you gone an given her hope her fondest dream of Steph getting married again is comin' true."

I turned to Stephanie with a wide eyed look and said, "You mean someone actually married you?"

I winced at the hostile look on the three women before me. Stephanie raised her chin and crossed her arms over her chest. I smiled and raised my hands in mock surrender. She rolled her eyes and ignored me. The ferret snorted his gaze was looking out the window and he suddenly said, "Oh shit!" and beat a hasty retreat into the inner office.

The door opened and a woman stepped in. There was something that put me off her right from the start. She sauntered in as if she owned the place. Her eyes lit up when she saw me and she made her way over to me and gave me a once over, her tongue coming out and going over her lips as her eyes tried to look sexy. I narrowed my eyes and when she moved too close I sidestepped her and went over to the sofa. With Lula sitting beside Stephanie there was absolutely no room on that sofa for a third person. I resolved the problem by lifting Stephanie and then sitting down with her on my lap. The woman pouted and gave Stephanie a nasty glare before turning back to me.

She thrust out her hip and tilted her chest so it was more prominent and said, "When you're ready for a _real_ woman, give me a call big guy."

I raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why? Do you have a list of real women you hand out to people?"

She looked confused, "I was referring to myself."

I shrugged, "I'm not into whores but thanks anyway."

You could have heard a pin drop. I noticed Lula looked a bit bruised and hurt and wondered what that was about. The woman bidding for attention didn't take it kindly and she threw Stephanie a nasty look, "I got Dickie and I'll get this one too bitch."

Stephanie sent me a look from beneath her lowered eyelids and then she moved against me like a little sex kitten and purred, "Sorry Joyce, but you _really_ aren't his type."

Joyce stormed out of the office and I heard a screech of brakes and yelling. Suddenly Stephanie elbowed me in the stomach and turned to Lula, "Rand didn't mean anything with that comment Lula."

I frowned, "What comment?"

Lula met my gaze and I suddenly had an inkling as to what she was going to say. She raised her head with pride and said, "I used to be a ho. But Stephanie saved me and now I do filing and help Stephanie catch bad guys, plus I'm goin' to school to better myself."

I nodded and smiled at her, "I can see that. That's why my comment couldn't be aimed in your direction. Only Joyce's."

Lula met my gaze for several seconds as if seeing if I was serious. I continued, "You and Joyce are like night and day. No one could ever confuse the two of you as being in the same profession."

Lula nodded. Connie spoke up and saved the moment by telling us about a new skip they just got a file on that morning. Seems the woman had been pulled over for speeding and officer Gaspick had seen a gun under the front seat so got her on carrying concealed as well. Connie handed the file to Stephanie and she gasped. I looked over her shoulder at the blonde in the photo and felt I should know her from somewhere but couldn't place her. I asked Stephanie if she knew her but she shook her head and said she thought it was Heather at first. I looked again and noticed the similarities between the two women.

We headed out, today I gave up the front passenger seat willingly to Lula. All I can say is it was a good thing I had done laundry yesterday. By the time we had eaten lunch and captured three skips, I had one set of clothes left and I was going to need them to wear to Stephanie's parents for dinner. We dropped Lula off at the Bonds office and headed back to Rangeman. When we pulled into the garage, Stephanie told me I had exactly 20 minutes to change and meet her on 5. She said she was going up to talk to Ranger about the SUV having a dent.

Once I had showered and changed, I headed to Ranger's office. I knocked and when I walked in Stephanie was sitting on the sofa and Ranger was sitting on the edge of his desk smiling. I clenched my hand and wanted to punch him in the face for some reason. Ranger turned to me and shook his head, "Stephanie never disappoints. Amazing isn't it how her luck works?"

I shook my head and said it was unbelievable. I asked if she was ready to go and Ranger asked her where we were headed. She glared at me and told Ranger I kissed her in full view of people from the Burg so we had a command performance at her parent's house. Ranger chuckled and stood. He gave her a hug and kissed her cheek and I had to clench my teeth to keep from saying something to him. We made our way down to the garage and Stephanie led the way to the new Cayenne that was parked next to the elevator.

I raised an eyebrow and she shrugged, "Ranger told me to take this one."

I shook my head, "I'm surprised he's had it replaced so quickly."

"This isn't quick. Usually there's a new one the same day."

I looked at her a moment to see if she was pulling my leg but realized she was serious. She got in the driver's seat so I got in the passenger seat. We were pulling up to her parent's house with 5 minutes to spare. Her mother and grandmother were standing on the front porch waiting for us. The look on her mother's face sent shivers down my spine. I got out of the Cayenne and met Stephanie in front of the vehicle. We walked side by side up to the front door. When we reached the door, I looked into the smiling face of Stephanie's grandmother and saw the look of pity she was sending my way. What the hell?

Helen Plum stepped forward with a sickeningly sweet smile on her face and said, "Why Stephanie, its so nice you've brought your young man to eat dinner with us again. I had no idea the last time you two were here just how close you were."

Steph rolled her eyes and sighed, "We're just friends Ma."

Helen raised her eyebrows, "Why Stephanie, everyone knows you're more than just friends." Helen turned to me, "Do you have a large family…." She turned back to Stephanie, "Why I don't believe you gave us his full name dear."

I held out my hand, "The name's Rand."

Helen simpered, "Rand? Rand what?"

I saw from the unholy look of glee on Stephanie's face that she was going to throw me under the bus. I tried to send her a look promising to get even if she did but the damn little minx was ignoring me. She turned to her mother and said, "Mom, this is Thorton Connor Rand."

Helen beamed, "Shall I call you Thor or do you prefer Thorton?"

I growled, "Rand. I prefer to be called Rand."

Helen shook her head, "That's too impersonal. I'll call you Thorton."

Steph's grandma started chuckling, "I'll call you Rand. My bones are too old to be ground into paste."

I gave her a questioning look and she leaned in to say, "Anyone with half a brain can see you hate that name."

I was beginning to see that the grandma wasn't the one I had to look out for after all. We headed into the house and Helen called Stephanie into the kitchen to help her get the meal on the table. I found myself being directed into the den where Stephanie's father Frank was sitting watching a ball game. He glanced up and motioned to the sofa, "Sit."

I sat. Frank Plum didn't even turn from the game as he fired questions at me one after another in rapid fire succession. "You got a job?"

"I'm an FBI Agent."

"You planning on moving in with us?"

"No."

"You ever been in the service?"

"Yes, two years in the Navy."

"Why'd you leave after 2 years?"

"My parents were killed and I left to care for my young brother."

Frank Plum turned to look at me and his gaze locked on mine for several long moments before he nodded. "You'll do."

At that moment we were called to the table and joined the women. There was one seat left and I could tell by the smile on Stephanie's down bent head that she'd engineered the seat I was left with. I took the open seat between her grandma and mother and as the dishes were passed I filled my plate. I couldn't help jumping each time her grandma reached over and pinched my ass. I noticed the twitching of Stephanie's lips and decided I was going to get even with her for this if it was the last thing I did. The food was good quality but not great. Being a gourmet cook I couldn't help but take note of what would have made the food taste better.

I had just taken a drink of water when Helen cleared her throat and asked, "So Stephanie, Thorton, when's the wedding?"

It was all I could do not to spit the water out of my mouth. I turned to Stephanie and she was glaring at me with an 'I told you so' look on her face. I turned to Helen and said, "Uh, Mrs. Plum, Stephanie and I barely know each other."

Helen smiled that simpering smile, "Yes, but apparently you know each other well enough for a public kiss. Frank and I were married a year before our first public kiss."

I looked at Stephanie thinking 'she's not for real is she?' Stephanie just smiled. Shit! By the time we'd finished dessert I was ready to get as far away from her mother as it was possible to get. We said goodnight and Stephanie accepted the bag her mother had fixed for her. Helen sent me one last simpering smile and told me, "Welcome to the family Thorton. Don't be a stranger now."

We got in the Cayenne and I turned to her and narrowed my eyes, "I will get you back for that Sweetness."

Stephanie gave me a bored look and said, "Talk is cheap Thorton." and she drove us back to Rangeman.

_This chapter was a little longer but it will be the only chapter today. _


	33. Heating Up The Tension

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **_

Chapter 33: Heating Up The Tension

Stephanie's POV:

When we pulled into the Rangeman garage I parked the Cayenne in its usual spot next to the elevator. I got out, not waiting for Rand and made my way to the elevator. I was heading to Hector's apartment because I wanted to know if the plan was set in motion. I smiled as I thought of the surprise to come for Bobby and the guys that had been on monitors. I knocked on Hector's door and Casey opened it with a huge smile on his face. He took me in his arms and hugged me to him. He winked at me and said, "Stephanie! Welcome to the family."

The tingling I felt told me Rand was behind me. I heard a low growl and then a door slam. I chuckled and hit Casey lightly on the arm, "You're bad."

Casey laughed, "I couldn't resist when I saw Rand come out of the stairwell."

I grinned, "You should have seen him at my parent's"

Hector came over and kissed the top of my head, "Ready for alarm?"

My eyes lit up and I asked, "Who was on monitors?"

Hector smiled, "Woody and Junior."

I grinned. The two guys that gave Hal the hardest time when he'd handed me his stun gun and I had stunned him. I nodded. "Okay, so how does this work?"

I set the bag of food my mom had given me on the counter and Hector showed me how the sensor would work. I could press the alarm button 4 times and it would only last a second. If I pressed the button that 5th time the alarm would blare like the one in my apartment had the night that started this whole thing. I bit my lip and paused for a moment, I gave Hector a look and he grinned before patting my cheek. He told me to press it as many times as I wanted and even told me 5 was a magical number. I grinned and took the little gizmo with me along with the bag from my mom and headed to the apartment I was using for the foreseeable future. I put everything away and sat down on the sofa. I turned the TV on and surfed the channels till I found a move to watch. When the movie was over I checked the time and it was 11 p.m. I figured the guys should be sleeping by now so I pressed the button quickly and then set the gadget down on the coffee table. I surfed the channels again until I hit pay dirt. Ghostbusters was just starting so I settled in to watch my all-time favorite movie. About an hour into the movie I reached over and pressed the gadget's button again. I couldn't help smiling as I settled back on the couch.

My eyes were getting droopy by the time Ghostbusters was over but I was aware enough to press the button on the gadget once more. It was really late by now, or to be more accurate, very early in the morning. I got up and lifted the gadget off the coffee table before making my way into the bedroom and slipping into an over-sized t-shirt to sleep in. I slipped into bed and pressed the button once more. I laid down and although I meant to reach out and set the gadget on the nightstand, I fell asleep before I could complete the task. I had barely closed my eyes when the blaring of an alarm coming from different directions had me sitting upright in bed. My eyes opened wide and I looked down at the gadget in my hands. My eyes widened and my only thought was 'Oh Shit!' I slipped out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweatpants before heading out into the hall. All the guys were out there looking around.

I noticed Bobby, Woody and Junior looked like they'd been up all night. Hector came up beside me and took the gadget from my hand, putting it into his own pocket. Bobby's eyes were narrowed as he looked around the hallway. He strode over to me and asked, "How'd you do it?"

My eyes opened wide, "How did I do what?"

"The damn alarm that's been going off all night. Four times it lasted barely a second and just when I finally got to sleep this shit happens. Its 2:30 in the morning and I have to be up in another 2 and ½ hours."

I frowned, "Bobby, I wouldn't have the first clue how to do anything like that. Besides, I've been asleep since shortly after Rand and I got back from my parents. I have enough to worry about now that my mother seems to think a wedding is a sure fired event."

Bobby's eyes widened, "Your mom thinks you're getting married?"

I put my hands on my hips and growled, "Yes! Rand didn't listen to me and he kissed me in front of the bonds office. My mother called and demanded we come over for dinner last night and now she's convinced we'll be getting married any day now."

Bobby shook his head, "Shit. This is good and I'm too tired to focus enough to find it funny."

I glared at Bobby and lifted my chin, "Well I'm going back to bed. Now if you guys would kindly quit horsing around so some of us can sleep." and with that I turned and went back into the apartment. I had barely shut the door when I dissolved into silent laughter. There was no way I was making any sounds that would alert those guys I was behind their sleepless night.

I was having the most erotic dream. I felt the tingling in every part of my being. My dream lover caressed my cheek before letting his fingers gently caress my lips. I opened my mouth and wrapped my lips around his finger, pulling it into my mouth and sucking on it as my tongue explored everything about it. The room was getting hotter and I reached up and brought my dream lover down on top of me. My head turned from the finger I let escape from my mouth and I found a pair of lips on mine. They teased, only allowing feather light touches before moving away again. My hands went up around the neck of my dream lover and I pulled him down to me. Our lips fused and I was on fire. My tongue snaked out to explore his mouth and I heard the groan seconds before I felt the weight pushing me back onto the bed. His hands were exploring as our tongues mated. It all seemed so real. I moved to bring my lower body into contact with my dream lover and then I stilled as I heard an alarm sounding. I blinked my eyes open to see Rand lying on top of me, our bodies fused together and we were both breathing hard.

I met Rand's gaze. His eyes were dark with desire. We lay there still, staring into each other's eyes. Finally, Rand stood and turned around. He ran a hand through his hair and said, "Its nearly 9:30. I need to check out a lead Diaz picked up on and need you to go with as a decoy so the Stewarts won't think I'm checking them out."

I frowned and picked up my phone. I checked to make sure it was still working and at the dial tone I held it up so Rand could see it worked. "You couldn't have called?"

Rand lifted an eyebrow, "Check your messages Sweetness. I already tried that 5 times."

I checked my missed calls and there were 5 messages from an unknown number. I pressed the number and Rand's phone went off. I disconnected and said, "I was tired. So sue me."

Rand smiled, "No, I have a much better idea." His eyes were sparkling with mischief. I thought about the cold shower and screamed as Rand moved in. His face was inches away from mine when he said, "I still owe you for telling your mother my name. I told you I'd repay you for that Sweetness, so get ready."

I glared, "That was your fault to begin with. I told you not to kiss me in public."

Rand moved in closer and claimed my mouth. Just when it was getting good and I had moaned in pleasure, he moved back off the bed. I looked at him in confusion, thinking he had been as into the kiss as I was. He looked like he was bored with the whole thing. My eyes narrowed, "You did that deliberately." I raised my chin and slid out of bed. I pulled the t-shirt over my head on my way to the shower and could have sworn I heard him moan as I closed the bathroom door. I smiled. Two could play that game Thorton Connor Rand.

It didn't take me long to shower and dress. Since it was a Rangeman day the dress code would be black. I pulled on a black mini skirt and a black silk vest top. I bit my lip deciding on shoes and finally picked up the delicate black strappy sandals. I brushed my hair and pulled it back into a ponytail and then added makeup. When I went back out to the bedroom, it was empty. I went through to the kitchen and Rand was placing an omelet onto a plate. I widened my eyes and said, "I didn't know you could cook."

Rand grinned, "I have several recipe books. I find cooking relaxing."

"Aren't you eating?"

"I ate at 7:30. I figure the only way we are going to get out of this apartment before noon is if I fed you."

I stuck my tongue out at him and dug into the omelet. I moaned in pleasure as the delicious tastes of the omelet ingredients hit my tongue. Rand moved to rearrange his jeans and I smiled wickedly to myself as I let the moans increase in volume. After the 5th moan, Rand leaned down inches from my face and said, "Sweetness, if you keep those moans up, we won't make it out of this apartment because I'll take you in that bedroom and make you deliver on what you are promising."

I swallowed and felt the heat emanating from him. I looked into his desire filled eyes and knew he was speaking the truth. I quickly and quietly stuffed the rest of the omelet into my mouth and washed it down with a cup of coffee. I set the dishes in the sink and grabbed my purse. I was at the door before I turned and asked Rand if he was coming or staying. Rand let his heated gaze run over me and then in a deeply husky voice he replied, "Oh I'll be coming alright Sweetness, just give me time."

_Well, what do you think?_


	34. Trapped

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**Special thanks to Vanessa Loor for translating my English into Spanish. Any mistakes are mine alone.**_

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them. **_

Chapter 34: Trapped

Stephanie's POV:

When we left the apartment, I headed towards the elevator to go up to 5. Rand took hold of my upper arm and shook his head, "You're coming with me Sweetness. We have some leads to check out and since the Stewarts now think I'm here spending time with you, you go where I go."

I frowned, "But I have work to do on 5."

"Later. Right now you have a job providing cover."

I rolled my eyes and continued on towards the elevator. When Rand brought me up short I glared, "I'm just taking the elevator down to the garage."

Rand shook his head and smiled, "You're taking the stairs."

I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms across my chest in a 'just make me' gesture. I refused to budge. Rand narrowed his eyes and looked me up and down. I remained staring at him not moving a muscle. Finally, Rand nodded and stepped in closer and lifted me over his shoulder in the fireman's carry and proceeded towards the stairs with me. I started squirming and kicking my legs. Rand reached up and swatted my ass. I started beating my fists on his shoulders and back. When we reached the garage and Rand walked through the stairwell door into the garage where I saw several pairs of boots and the sound of male laughter led me to know there were several Merry Men in the garage.

The sudden quiet was eerie. Rand set me down and I swung around to see Hector facing Rand with a look on his face I'd never seen there before. The rest of the guys backed up a step and nervously moved from foot to foot. I saw their relieved looks when Ranger exited the stairwell and strode forward. Ranger came to a stand beside Hector and put a hand on Hector's shoulder. He spoke softly to him in Spanish and although I had no clue what he was saying most of the others did. Hector didn't take his gaze off of Rand as he replied. "Ella es mia para proteger y daria mi vida por protegerla. Le pego. No me importa si estaba bromeando, escuche el sonido de su mano pegandole. El no va a vivir para pegarle de Nuevo."("_She is mine to protect and I will give my life to protect her. He hit her. I don't care if he was joking, I heard the sound of his hand hitting her. He will not live to hit her again_.")

Rand stepped in closer to Hector and replied, "Pense que eras homosexual? Me quieres decir que si tienes que decidir entre Casey y ella, dejarias a Casey abandonado y tomarias el lado de ella sobre el de el?"("_I thought you were gay? Are you telling me if it came down to a choice between Casey and her you would leave Casey high and dry and take her side over his?")_

I had no idea what they were saying to each other but knew I had to stop this. I stepped up to Hector and placed a hand on his arm. I kissed his teardrops and told him it was alright. I was okay and Rand hadn't hurt me. Hector looked at me for several long seconds before he glared at Rand and said, "For you I let go. He hit you again, I teach him lesson."

Rand looked like he wanted to tear Hector apart and Hector looked ready to show Rand why he was so feared by all the gangs. Just then Casey joined the group in the garage and he came right over to Hector and me. He put a hand on my shoulder and asked if I was okay. Hector told him Rand had hit me. Casey turned to his brother and stood toe to toe with him, glaring .

Rand put his hands up in the air and cut me a glance, "Just how many guys do you have?"

My eyes widened in shock as I saw Casey pull back and hit Rand in the jaw with his fist."

Rand cupped his cheek and asked, "Why the hell did you do that?"

Casey was holding his hand wincing as he replied, "Because I didn't like the tone of your voice when you said that."

Rand looked at Casey's hand and shook his head, "Well little brother, looks like you might have broken your hand too."

Hector quickly turned to Casey and gently took hold of his hand. He turned and nailed Bobby with a look and said, "Bobby. Come see."

Bobby walked over and took a look at Casey's hand. "It looks broken alright. Hector, you'll need to take Casey to the hospital and get this hand x-rayed."

Casey shook his head, "At least I'll still be able to draw."

Ranger narrowed his eyes, "Are you guys done playing around?"

With that everyone made excuses and left. Ranger looked at Rand and spoke in a soft voice I couldn't hear. Rand stiffened and said something back in the same soft tone. Both men stared at each other for a moment and then Rand turned and came over to where I was standing. He glared at me and asked, "You ready to go Sweetness?"

I glared but didn't move from the spot. Ranger came over and leaned down to me, "You okay?"

I nodded. Ranger caressed my cheek and there was a low growl from behind us. I saw the amusement in Ranger's eyes and smiled. Ranger told us to watch our backs and then headed back upstairs. I got into the driver's seat of the Cayenne and Rand got in on the passenger side. I waited patiently but Rand just sat there looking straight ahead. After about 5 minutes I sighed and turned to face him. "Are you going to tell me where we are going."

Rand turned and glared at me. I threw up my hands and went back to staring out the front window of the Cayenne. Fine! He didn't want to tell me where we were going then I guess we'd just sit here. After another 5 minutes there was a knock on the driver's side window. I turned on the Cayenne and powered down the window.

Tank stood there and I could tell he was trying to keep from laughing. "You two just going to sit in there all day?"

I smiled at Tank and rolled my eyes, "Someone is pouting. I'm waiting for him to tell me where we are going since he's the ass that insisted I go with him today to protect his cover that he's here on vacation."

Tank looked at Rand and raised an eyebrow. Rand glared. "With all the action she's getting around here I'm surprised she doesn't already know."

Tank's eyes narrowed, "You're new around here Thorton. Let me give you a piece of advice. Treat my little girl with respect or you'll get your ass handed to you by a bunch of bad ass ex-military men. Stephanie is special to us and in the three years we've known her we've come to love her. She's part of our family and we'll destroy any mother fucker who treats her poorly. You narrowly escaped death earlier with Hector, don't make me hurt you and waste all that effort to keep you alive."

Rand held Tank's gaze for several seconds and then turned to glare at me, "If the Princess is ready to go…we need to check out a lead at the marina."

I rolled my eyes and looked up at Tank and smiled. I gave him a finger wave and we headed out. It didn't take long to get to the marina. I parked and we got out. I locked the car and headed towards the boats. Rand caught up with me and wrapped his arm around my waist. His arm held me to him like a band of steel. I elbowed him and he grabbed my arm with his good hand and held it still as he looked at me with a hard gaze.

I glared at him and he leaned closer to me and said, "Watch it Sweetness. Remember, I get even."

We were nearly to the three white boats clustered together when there was movement ahead of us and suddenly there was a man with a gun standing before us. The man looked to be in his early 50's and he looked a lot like the Andre the Giant look-a-like from the other day. He had a gravelly voice as he said, "What are you doing here Rand?"

Rand nodded to the older man, "Robert. I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"What are you doing here?"

"I was bringing my…friend down to check out the boats."

Robert gave me the once over and I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked closely and knew the blonde on the boat was the same blonde from the file Connie had given me. I started leafing through my bag for my stun gun and hand cuffs. The man in front of us narrowed his eyes and demanded, "What are you doing?"

At that moment I had my stun gun in one hand and the handcuffs in the other. I didn't take my eyes off the woman but answered Robert saying, "The blonde on that boat. She's my FTA."

Robert turned to the boat in question and his eyes widened. "What's it to you?"

"I'm a Bounty Hunter and she's my skip."

With that I left the two guys and carefully made my way to the boat where the blonde woman was. I snuck up behind her and put the stun gun against her. I told her to put her hands behind her back and she slowly did as she was asked. I had just handcuffed her when Jefferson exited from the lower regions of the boat.

He looked at me and then the blonde and frowned. "What are you doing here?"

I smiled, "I'm a Bounty Hunter and this woman is my skip. She failed to appear for her court date and needs to go down and reschedule."

Jefferson turned to the woman and shook his head. He turned and I had the feeling things were going to change for the worse. Jefferson turned around with a gun in his hand and at that moment Robert and Rand joined us. When the woman saw Rand she snarled, "You!"

Rand frowned, "Bridgette?"

The blonde woman sneered, "Who else?"

Everything clicked in that moment and I said, "She's the one that shot at us the other day."

She turned to me and widened her eyes, "If you hadn't warned him he'd be dead now and I'd be on my way back to Washington."

Jefferson motioned Rand over by me with the gun. Rand stepped beside me. Robert gave a disgusted sigh, "Damn fools. I told you she'd be nothing but trouble."

Jefferson glared, "She told us he was a FBI Agent."

"Like I didn't already know that? Now we have to decide what to do with them till we can get away."

"We got the goods, why can't we just kill them?" from Jefferson.

Robert scoffed, "She's a Bounty Hunter. Don't you recognize her? She's the Bombshell Bounty Hunter from Trenton New Jersey. She's under the protection of Ranger Manoso. There's no way in hell I'm crossing that crazy bastard."

"So what are we going to do?"

Robert looked around and then his eyes lit up. "Tie the boat over there on to this one and take us out to sea. We'll lock the two of them down below in that boat and leave it adrift without a radio. By the time Manoso finds them we'll be long gone."

The blonde smiled cruelly, "Let me shoot the bastard first."

Robert snarled, "No. He's FBI. We'll get the death penalty if they catch us."

Jefferson waved his gun at us and told us to go down below. I refused to budge. There was no way I was willingly going down into that tiny space. Jefferson nudge me forward with the gun and I whirled around and brought my knee up in his privates. He bent over cupping himself but Robert fired his gun in the air and narrowed his eyes at me, telling me to get below. Rand took hold of me and forced me down below ahead of him. As soon as I had room I turned on him but the door above us being shut and locked sent me into a panic. I dropped to the floor and curled into a ball with my arms around my knees. I was shaking so bad and I felt my heart beating a rapid rhythm in my chest.

Rand sat down beside me and wrapped his arms around me. I felt the boat moving through the water and I turned into his arms and clung as if my life depended on it.


	35. Revelations

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them.**_

Chapter 35: Revelations

Rand's POV:

When I saw Stephanie drop to the ground and wrap her arms around her knees, I felt a pain in my chest near my heart. I sat beside her and wrapped her in my arms. After several minutes she seemed to relax into me and laid her head on my shoulder. I gently caressed her with my good hand even as I looked around to asses our situation. Stephanie was so still I thought she might have gone to sleep. But her soft voice caught my attention.

"I hate being trapped."

I smiled thinking she probably knew next to nothing about being trapped in a small space. I pulled her closer and asked, "Been trapped much have you?"

I thought I was being humorous and she'd laugh and relax. Instead the sound that came from her told me I was off the mark as she responded, "Too many times."

I frowned. I needed something to distract her so I could figure out how to get us out of this. I thought I had come up with a way to get her to relax and learn something about her at the same time. I touched her cheek and said, "How about we play 20 questions? It will give us something else to think about."

I felt her nod. "Okay. What did you want to be when you grew up?"

I raised an eyebrow, "I'd say I'm already grown up."

She tilted her head towards me, "I know you're an FBI Agent, but if things were different, what would you have done with your life?"

I shrugged, "When I left high school, my life plan was to go in the Navy for 20 years or so and then get out and start my own business. Not sure what that business would have been."

She nodded as if that was what she'd been after. I paused for a minute and asked, "What did you want to be when you grew up?"

I could see her smile even though it was dark. "I wanted to be Wonder Woman."

I chuckled at that one, "Looks like you accomplished that one. Is that why you went into the Bounty Hunting Business?"

"No. I was a lingerie buyer for E. E. Martin but they got bought out and I lost my job. I was out of work for 6 months and desperate so I blackmailed my cousin Vinnie to hire me."

My eyebrow rose at her answer. She was full of surprises. When it came her next question surprised me, "Did you resent having to leave the Navy to raise Casey?"

"Never, I love my brother and I'm honored that he's become such a wonderful person."

Then she followed it up with, "Have you been able to make peace with the fact that he's gay?"

I nodded, "Yeah. A friend of his helped me to realize his being gay wasn't a reflection on how I raised him, but was a part of who he is." then I had a wicked thought and asked, "When was your first sexual encounter?"

She surprised me by laughing, "You sure you want to know?"

"Just the facts ma'am."

She elbowed me lightly in the stomach saying, "_Don't_…..ma'am me."

I chuckled, "Quit stalling."

"I was 6."

I sat up and looked at her with a hard look, "That needs an explanation."

I knew she was rolling her eyes even though it was too dark to see, "Joe Morelli asked me if I wanted to learn how to play a new game and took me to his dad's garage. He told me the game was choo choo. He was the train and I was the tunnel. He put his head under my skirt and his finger was the train."

"Morelli better hope we don't run into each other for a while."

"What about you? When was your first sexual encounter?"

"I was 12 and she was 15. She was babysitting Casey till I got home from baseball practice. When I got home she dropped her dress and, well you can imagine the rest."

"Did you enjoy it?"

I looked at her surprised, "Why wouldn't I?"

She shrugged so I asked my next question, "Did you enjoy the first time you had sex with a boy?"

I could hear her reluctance, "Parts of it, but it was over so fast and I didn't have the chance to get to the good part."

I frowned, "What kind of jerks did you hang around with?"

I heard her sigh, "I was working at the Tasty Pastry when I was 16, and Joe Morelli came in just before I locked up for the night. He wanted a cannoli and next thing I knew I was on the floor behind the counter and he was walking out the door."

I gritted my teeth, "I was wrong about Morelli needing to stay out of my way for a while. No time limits on this one. He's dead if I ever see him again."

She laughed, probably thinking I was joking. Then she asked, "Are you afraid of anything?"

I shrugged, "Fear is healthy in some situations. There have been times when I've known fear. I can't say there is one thing that makes me afraid though. How about you? Why are you afraid of being locked in?"

"That's a long story."

I looked around, "Doesn't look like we're going anywhere in a hurry."

She laughed. "You asked for it."

She started talking about how she blackmailed her cousin into giving her a job. I shuddered at the thought of the human ferret with a duck. I grinned when she told me about locking Morelli into the back of a refrigeration truck with three dead bodies and driving him to the police station. I also had a better handle on Lula and why she said Stephanie saved her. I was impressed that she'd shot Alpha through the bottom of her purse and all 5 shots went to the heart. When she went on to tell me about the Mancuso case she worked, I couldn't help the silent laughter that shook my frame as I pictured her grandma shooting the gun that caused the fire at the funeral home. When she started in telling me about having to go after Uncle Mo I was amazed at how uncanny it was that a simple case of bringing in a skip led her on these wild, involved cases that ended with her solving a huge puzzle that better trained professionals couldn't figure out. The cars exploding, the funeral home, and apparently her apartment wasn't safe from stalkers like Ramirez and Sugar. I could only shake my head at what I was hearing. For one person to experience all this was amazing.

I could picture Tank unconscious on the floor and wondered what Ranger thought of the reason Stephanie hadn't been shot was because she was sleeping on the floor. When she described the garbage truck coming down on the Porsche, my sides hurt so badly from the laughter I was tempted to beg her to stop. There might be people out there that would doubt what she was telling me, but from what I'd personally been through since meeting her, I knew it all too true. Then she went into how she met Alexander Ramos and I was amazed. I was even more stunned when she said he asked her to marry him. Then she went on to tell me about DeCooch and how she made a deal with Ranger. My eyes narrowed and I was torn. Although I was glad Ranger was there to protect her and encourage her, if I ran into the bastard in the near future there was going to be hell to pay.

When she told me about Abruzzi, I decided to let Ranger live since it seemed like he was no longer actively trying to stay in her bed. I just shook my head at the cop's reaction to the snakes. As she continued her story, I stiffened when she mentioned the gang after her and how she was shut in the trunk and delivered to Junkman. I was grateful to a man I'd never met for spraying the area with an Uzi. Then when she told me what she'd been through with Stiva. No wonder she hates small, confined spaces. I understood the incident at the Space Needle in a new light. I could just imagine how Ranger felt when she fell out of that cupboard. As if that wasn't enough, she told me how she'd helped saved Ranger's daughter. I understood her feelings for him better as she talked about how Ranger came into her apartment knowing he was walking into certain death. As she continued relating incidents; like Lula tossing pieces of chicken to an alligator….or was it a crocodile?, as Stephanie looked for the money, I shook my head and wondered how one person could survive all that and come out relatively well adjusted with just a couple of new phobias.

When Stephanie finished talking, I'm not sure she was aware of just how much of herself she had given away to me. She'd told me of the last conversation she and Ranger had that had led to her going to Seattle in the first place. I was grateful to Ranger to putting things in motion. I was finding it harder and harder to fight the pull that this brave lady had on my heart. The great thing about it is my family already loved her. I smiled in the dark as I pulled her closer to me. After all, my brother did break his hand hitting my jaw because he felt I wasn't giving her the respect she deserved.

I felt the change in the rocking of the boat and knew we were no longer moving. I listened intently to see if I could hear what was happening topside. There was the sound of a motor starting and pulling away and then total silence. Stephanie lifted her face to mine and asked, "Do you think it's safe to try and go up there?"

I hesitated, trying to hear any movement, "I don't know. I guess we could give it a try."

We stood and I found it hard to move with the death grip she had on me. I took her hands in mine and told her I'd need a little room to get the door open. I could sense her reluctance to let me go, but she bravely let go and nodded her head. It took longer than it should have since I had one good hand to work with. Once the door popped up I cautiously made my way up onto the deck. I checked to make sure there weren't any surprises waiting for us and then went back to help Stephanie up on deck. We looked around us and the only thing visible on the horizon was more water. We were in the middle of the Ocean. Stephanie put her hand up to shade her eyes and did a 360 degree turn. I couldn't help smiling and wondering if she thought something else was going to magically show up.

I watched as Stephanie put her hands on her hips and sighed. Suddenly her eyes lit up and she started searching through her purse. She came up with a little gadget in her hand and I looked at her puzzled. She held up the small gadget and smiled, "I hope this works. It's a panic button but I don't know if we're too far out."

I nodded, "Only one way to find out."

She pressed the gadget. I watched as she bit her lip and looked at me, "Now what do we do to pass the time?"

I grinned, "I think our next problem is whether there is any food on this boat. I saw some fishing gear so we might want to see about catching something to cook in case we're still out here later tonight."

Steph's eyes lit up, "I haven't been fishing since I was little. I used to love going with my dad."

I held out my hand, "Then let's check it out."

My eyes darkened with desire as she placed her hand in mine.

_Any guesses as who's going to rescue them? How long will the rescue take? Will the Stewarts and Bridgette get away?_


	36. The Rescue

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them.**_

Chapter 36: The Rescue

Stephanie's POV:

I couldn't believe how much fun I was having. I had always loved fishing with my dad, and sitting her at the back of the boat holding a fishing rod brought back a lot of great memories. Rand had managed to catch 5 fish to the measly two I had caught. Rand tossed the latest fish into the net with the others and said he thought we had enough for dinner tonight as well as breakfast in the morning if we hadn't been found. I pulled my pole in and squealed in delight when I saw the huge Lobster attached to my hook. Rand helped me get it off and declared it was big enough for two. We carried the Lobster and fish down below and Rand set about preparing the Lobster. He took the fish and while the Lobster was cooking he cleaned the fish and placed them in the fridge. There weren't many options to go with the Lobster, but Rand used some noodles and canned milk to make a pasta Alfredo dish. It was delicious. As night closed in on us I felt my anxiety returning. I really didn't want to be stuck out here in the middle of the Ocean in the middle of the night with no motor to get us back to port. Rand had tried earlier to get the motor fixed but it was definitely dead.

When I couldn't put off going to bed any longer I turned to Rand and bit my lip. His eyes narrowed on me and he asked, "What?"

"I don't want you to get the wrong impression, but I really don't want to be alone tonight."

Rand cupped my chin in his god hand and said, "Its okay. There's only one bed so I think we should share."

We made our way towards the bedroom and I pulled the covers back and crawled in. Once Rand was lying down beside me I pulled the covers over both of us. I had a terrible time settling down until Rand pulled me to his chest and wrapped his good arm around me. I was asleep in minutes. It seemed like I had just closed my eyes when the sound of something hitting the side of the boat woke me up. My first thought was there were sharks out there running into the boat and we were going to drown in the Ocean and be eaten when they ripped the boat apart.

I was about to say something when Rand put his good hand over my mouth and whispered, "Shh! I think I hear someone coming on board."

Rand reached behind him and drew out his gun. My eyes widened and I tried very hard not to make any noise. Suddenly there was a bright light shining in our eyes and a voice I recognized saying, "We've got her Rangeman."

Tank's POV:

I was standing behind Hal and Binkie as we watched the monitor. Junior and Woody had gone out to check out an alarm and we were watching them as they dealt with the so called robbers. A couple of teenage wanna be gang members. I shook my head at the stupidity of the two punks on the screen. They couldn't just accept they were caught, no. Instead they were trying to come off as bad asses. I squashed the laugh that wanted to escape as the punks got in Woody and Junior's faces. Junior double up his fist and struck with lightning fast reflexes. I was just about to head back to my office when Stephanie's panic button sounded. It was a sound that brought every Rangeman in the building running.

Ranger barked from behind me, "Report!"

Hal frowned, "Her location is showing she's in the Atlantic Ocean."

We froze. Ranger started barking out orders and we were all triple timing it down to the garage. Cal, Hal, Zip, Zero, Brett, Bobby, and Erik were loading into two SUV's that were going to be rocketing to the closest Marina. As being the resident Navy Seals as well as our one medic of the group, they were going after Stephanie. I was two seconds behind Rangeman as he exited the stairwell and he had his phone out connecting to Ram. "Report!"

I could tell by the look on his face he wasn't happy. He told Ram Stephanie's panic button had been activated and it was out in the Atlantic. A second later he said, "Understood." and disconnected the call. He climbed in the driver's seat and not wanting to be left behind I hauled ass into the front passenger seat. I glanced in the back seat to see Hector and Casey already sitting there. As we barreled out of the garage, Ranger was demanding a report from another party. His expression turned grim and he ended the call and threw the phone out the window. When we made it to the marina, the boat Ranger kept there for operations was going at flank speed in the direction I assumed Stephanie's signal was coming from.

We got out of the vehicle and Diaz walked over to where we were standing. He was rubbing the back of his head, "I got clobbered boss. I saw them take Rand and Stephanie out on the boat and I was getting ready to call you when I got hit from behind."

"Any idea who hit you?"

Just then Ram stepped forward with the blonde from the bar in Deal. It was the blonde, Heather that spoke up, "It was the Stewarts henchman that knocked him out."

Ram nodded, "Diaz would have been killed if Heather hadn't taken the guy out."

We all looked to Heather. We had thought she was the one that fired on Stephanie, Rand, Hector and Casey. I glanced at Ram and noticed he was standing very close to Heather. I hoped he wasn't thinking with the wrong head so to speak. Ranger drilled her with the gaze he saved for enemies that we met in battle. His voice was razor sharp as he asked, "Aren't you the one that shot at Rand and the others?"

Heather lifted her chin, "No. I was meeting with the Stewarts at the time they were shot at. I've already explained all that to Ram."

Ranger stared at her for several minutes before turning to Ram, "Are you sure we can trust her?"

Ram nodded, "I've been shadowing her and she's on the side of the good guys boss."

Heather rolled her eyes and I had to wonder if she'd learned that from Steph. She nodded her head in the direction of the Ocean. "The Stewarts are going to be back here soon. We need to get out of sight and figure out what we are going to do to catch the bastards. The blonde woman with them is Bridgette. For some reason she's been trying to kill Rand for the past 5 years. That was originally why I was sent to the Washington office. We got a tip that one of our agents there was being stalked. I've been working undercover to get her ever since."

Casey spoke up at that moment, "Did you say Bridgette?"

Heather turned to him, "Yes, why?"

Casey turned to Hector and then to the rest of us, "Before our parents died Rand was dating a girl named Bridgette. Our parent's didn't approve of her for some reason. She didn't like Rand spending time with me. She wanted him all to herself when he came home on leave. They had a huge fight before he took me camping and our parents suggested Rand break it off with her. She was furious and stormed out. When Rand and I came home and found out mom and dad were dead, she was there right after telling Rand how sorry she was. She was nice to me when Rand was around, but when he was gone she was a vicious bitch. Rand came in when she was yelling at me and told her to get out, they were over. She promised to get even."

Heather's eyes narrowed on Casey and I could see she picked up on something he said. Before she could comment Hector pointed to an incoming boat. We hauled ass to get ourselves hid until the boat docked and then a blonde woman and two men stepped off the boat. We waited till they were in just the right space and Ranger stepped out with his gun aimed at them. The older of the two men narrowed his eyes and demanded, "Who the hell are you and what do you want?"

Ranger stood there without moving, his eyes narrowed, "The name's Manoso."

The older man swore, "I got no beef with you Manoso."

"Where's Stephanie?"

The woman smirked, "What's it to ya?"

The old man snarled at her to shut up. Unfortunately she didn't listen. "He isn't going to do anything to me. I'm a woman."

Ranger stepped closer to her and put the gun to her head, "I don't care if you're the Queen of England, I'll blow your brains out if you've done anything to hurt her."

The big guy stepped forward, "I thought she was with Rand."

Ranger nodded, "She's still my friend and under my protection."

The old guy looked like he wanted to throw up, "We left them out to sea. They'll be fine. No one hurt them."

The blonde just couldn't shut up, "Yeah. Robert wouldn't let me do anything to her because he didn't want to upset someone named Ranger."

Ranger smiled, "Ah, so my reputation precedes me."

At that their eyes grew huge. Ranger cocked the gun. Robert dropped his gun and put his hands in the air. "They haven't been hurt."

At that moment my phone rang and I saw Cal was calling. I stepped forward and handed my phone to Ranger. He spoke into the phone, "Yo."

"We've got her Rangeman."

Ranger disconnected the call and tossed the phone back to me. I saw Casey slip forward and his eyes narrowed. He turned to Hector and I heard him say, "That's the same girl who dated Rand 15 years ago."

The blonde turned her furious gaze on Casey, "Well, well. If it isn't little Casey all grown up. I should have shot you when I had the chance but I wanted your brother dead more. After all I did to be with him! Bastard! I went to all the trouble of making sure mommy and daddy couldn't disapprove of us and he dumps me to play daddy to you!"

Casey seemed stunned as he asked, "What?"

She sneered, "That's right. I killed mommy and daddy." She pulled a gun from her purse and continued, "And now I'm gonna kill you."

Ranger was there with his gun drawn on her but when she went down, it was the gun in Hector's hand that was smoking. The giant went berserk and screamed in rage as he rushed towards where Hector was standing. Ranger fired and when the giant kept moving the rest of us joined in. He fell a few feet short of Hector. The last shot tore his chest wide open and the shot was fired by Casey. Robert ran forward and knelt beside the younger man. When he looked up, there was insanity in the way he was looking at us. He knew he didn't stand a chance but it was like he didn't want to go on without the younger man. He turned and took aim at Ranger. Heather fired three shots in quick succession.

When the boat arrived back at the marina with Stephanie and Rand on board, the police had already been and gone. Ranger had talked with Morelli and we had the added benefit of Heather being FBI and she told them that all three shootings were in self-defense and the defense of a third party. When the boat docked, Ranger was there and he lifted Steph off the boat and set her on the dock. Rand was next out and he wrapped his good arm around Stephanie. I watched as Ranger looked at the two of them for several seconds before he nodded to Rand and held out his hand. Rand accepted his hand and they shook.

Rand's gaze went to Heather and he raised a questioning eyebrow. Heather grinned, "Don't worry Rand. I'm the one who's been trying to save your ass for the past 5 years. All those close calls, seems an old girlfriend of yours has been trying to put you 6 feet under."

Rand turned to Casey who was in Hector's arms. Hector was gently rocking him as he spoke to him in Spanish. Rand nodded, "What's wrong with Casey?"

Heather's look turned serious and she said, "He just found out that Bridgette was the one that killed your parents."

I noticed Rand seemed to sway. Steph hugged him to her as her gaze lifted to meet his. He looked down at her and then wrapped her in both his arms and held her to him. Heather went on to tell him, "Bridgette and the Stewarts are all dead. The case is over."

Rand didn't turn from Steph as he asked, "Does that mean you're headed back to Seattle?"

Heather turned to Ram and she smiled, "Hell no! I just found the man of my dreams, I'm not going anywhere. What about you?"

Rand grinned as his eyes met Stephanie's, "Well what do you know….looks like we both found a reason to stick around."

I looked around and noticed all the guys watching Steph and Rand. Stephanie smiled and said, "Just so you know what you're getting into, its a package deal."

"What is Sweetness?"

She motioned to us with her hand. "These guys are my family. So if you want to get to know me better, that means dealing with all of them too. They come with me."

Rand turned and looked at all of us and then grinned, "At least I've got my foot in the door. After all, Casey is my family too." He turned back to her, "If these guys can accept the fact that you and I are going to see where things take us, I guess I can accept them being in your corner too. Hell, it'll make protecting you easier knowing they have my back in that regards."

Lester grinned from ear to ear as he said, "Shit, you don't just have Rangeman covering your back on that one, you also have half the city of Trenton watching your back. But just so you know, when it comes to Beautiful's mom or grandma, you are so on your own."

We all laughed. It was late when we headed back to Rangeman, or rather very early in the morning. Heather went with Ram and it looked like we'd be seeing her a lot more around Rangeman. Hell, maybe Ranger could talk the two of them into joining the crew. Both Rand and Heather would be good additions. But that was ultimately up to Ranger. If I knew Ranger he wouldn't plan on putting out any offers until he knew how Stephanie and Rand would get on. When it came to the bottom line, he'd choose Stephanie over anyone else. I knew why Ranger would never let a relationship happen between them, but just because he wouldn't give her a happy ever after didn't mean he didn't love her.

_Don't worry, there is still more story coming. It does seem as though things are winding down so not sure how many more chapters. Of course Stephanie and Rand have to explore a relationship so that's still coming up. Hope you enjoyed the rescue from Tank's POV. _


	37. A Distraction Revealed

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them.**_

Chapter37: A Distraction Revealed

Stephanie's POV:

I gave a frustrated sigh and threw the covers back. No matter what I tried I couldn't get to sleep. I couldn't get away from the fear I felt when we were locked below deck. I also couldn't help but want Rand beside me. He had held me and helped me to feel safe. My feelings for him had changed considerably since our first meeting at the Space Needle. I let my mind take over and remember all of the other meetings we'd had. I couldn't help but smile as I remembered going over the Falls with my hand wrapped around his belt, and kneeing him in the groin when he irritated me, among others. For some reason when the knock sounded at the door I wasn't surprised. I slipped out of bed and didn't even think about slipping into a robe before going to the door and opening it. I was wearing a tank top and short boy boxer pajamas. My hair was down and probably a mess from all the tossing and turning I had been doing.

I opened the door and Rand stood there. His eyes darkened with desire as he looked at me. I felt an answering desire. I stepped back so he could enter and he took the few steps forward before closing the door and lifting me into his arms. His mouth came down on mine as he carried me towards the bedroom. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held on. For a guy with a cast on his hand Rand wasted no time in undressing me and getting rid of his own clothes. His mouth devoured mine before moving south. He kissed every inch of my overheated body and paid special attention to my doodah. My hands clenched in his hair as I screamed with my climax. My breathing hadn't even returned to normal when that luscious mouth of his started all over again. This time he entered me and thrust to the hilt, starting a rhythm where I could only hold on tight and cling to him as he rode us to the Promised Land.

We finally slept when we were too exhausted to do anything else. Throughout the rest of the night we took turns waking each other and letting our passion rule over and over again. It was in the early hours of the morning when we woke together that instead of letting passion rule, we took a well-deserved break to talk. Rand held me in his arms as we talked, and I lay there feeling as if all were right in the world and I could stay like this forever. Rand caressed my arm and we discussed topics that before had been taboo. Rand asked how I felt about children and I asked him how he felt about a working wife. I found he was okay with his wife working and it didn't matter if she couldn't cook because he loved cooking, not only that but he was a gourmet cook.

I joked that at least I'd never have to worry about not getting desserts. Rand kissed me gently and said he would make all the desserts I would ever want. We ended the conversation with another round of lovemaking. We were lying together as our breathing and heart rates returned to normal and I asked him, "When do you have to go back to Seattle?"

Rand caressed my cheek, "I'm not going back to Seattle Sweetness. I'm going to ask for a transfer to the local office. If its not approved, then I'll look for a different job. The only reason I really took the job in the first place was it paid well and I wanted Casey to have everything I could give him."

I looked up at him again, "If you could be anything you wanted, what would you be?"

Rand grinned, "What do I want to be when I grow up?"

I returned his grin with one of my own. "Yeah. What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Rand's eyes narrowed and he kissed my forehead. "I worked construction when I first got out of the service and took custody of Casey. I've always wanted to create homes."

My eyes opened wide, "Is that why Casey became an architect?"

Rand shrugged, "I don't know. I never pushed it on him. But maybe he went into it because I gave up my dream to raise him. I would never change the past. I'd do everything in my power to keep Casey with me. I have no regrets."

"Have you thought about going back to school and getting a degree in architecture?"

Rand shrugged, "I'm 35 years old. I don't know."

I nodded, "Yes, but you have the experience of working construction. Casey is taken care of, he and Hector are a happy couple. Besides, if you need help with your homework I'm sure Casey would help you."

Rand smiled, "Maybe. Its something to think about."

I snuggled closer to him and put my hand on his neck. He ran his uninjured hand down my arm. "I'm glad you're staying around."

"There's no reason left for me to go back to Seattle. My family is here and so is the woman I have fallen in love with."

I felt the tears burn the back of my eyes. I looked at Rand with all that I was feeling and whispered, "I am so in love with you. It scares me how much I love you."

Rand pulled me closer, "Why does it scare you Sweetness?"

"Because, I've never had good luck with relationships. I told you about Dickie, and Morelli, and then there is Ranger."

Rand's hand tunneled into my hair, "The fault lies with them. Dickie was an ass who obviously has no taste if he wanted that whore instead of you. Morelli , don't get me started on Morelli. As for Ranger, I am just grateful that the only thing he can offer you is friendship because otherwise I would have never met you."

"Does it bother you that Ranger and I are still friends?"

Rand shrugged, "To tell you the truth I thought it would, but it doesn't. I trust you. I also know that Ranger wouldn't intentionally hurt you. He can't give you what you need so he's offering you friendship. I think you are over him and accept his friendship as all he can give."

"The rest of the guys are just friends too."

Rand nodded. "I know Sweetness. Like I said, I trust you."

"I'm glad I was wrong about Heather. I kind of like her now that she and Ram are a couple."

Rand laughed, "I'm glad you were wrong about Heather too. I've always thought of her as a friend and if she had really been trying to sabotage me it would have hurt."

"So…what are we going to tell my mom?"

"How about if we tell her we are a couple and we are exploring a relationship. When it becomes more we will let her know."

I smiled, "When, not if?"

Rand kissed me, "When."

That was the last of the conversation as Rand's mouth covered mine and our passion once again took over. When the alarm sounded sometime later, I moved in Rand's arms to turn it off. When I turned back he was staring at me with a smile on his face. I started quivering with desire, not believing I was still craving more after the night we had spent loving each other. It was different with Rand than anyone else. My only explanation was we were both putting love into the equation. So after a very fulfilling wake up session we hit the shower and dressed for the day. Rand fixed us a Bacon, egg, cheese, and black olive omelet with toast.

I moaned at the first sip of coffee. "This is better than Casey's."

"I would hope so. I'm the one who taught him how to make it."

Once we had finished our breakfast, we cleared the table and headed up to the 5th floor. Technically this was a bonds day but I was too sore to go chasing any skips. Once we stepped out of the elevator I headed for my desk. Rand kissed my cheek and then headed into Ranger's office. As I got busy with the searches, I couldn't help but feel as if something was wrong. We were missing something with the Stewarts, and while I no longer felt Heather was on the wrong side, there was something we were overlooking. I was just finishing up my last search when an email came in. I clicked on it and couldn't help the scream that came out of my mouth.

In less than 10 seconds I was surrounded by Ranger, Rand and several Merry Men. I turned blindly and went into Rand's arms. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close as the guys talked about finding where the email came from and who sent it. Hector went to work on my computer and in seconds he had the answer. I felt like the other shoe had finally dropped. Apparently we weren't done with Marlow yet as the email generated from him. The fact he made it so easy for us to trace it back to him meant he was taunting us, and that he felt confident with his chances.

We moved to the conference room to discuss our game plan. I knew what was coming before Ranger even said anything. He wanted me inside the building until Marlow was once again in jail. I nodded and let him know I'd try. Towards the end, Ram came in with Heather by his side. He had a grim look on his face. He let us know that Heather had just been informed the Stewarts were middlemen and not the threat they were thought to be. With their death, it was doubtful we'd find the real culprit at the head of the organization.

I bit my lip and hesitated, but I was positive I was right. "Marlow is behind it all. He said he knew who I was. Its like he knew I would come in to distract him and bring him out. He wanted to be caught so he would have an alibi when the Stewarts brought in the guns. But more than that…I think they are bringing in drugs along with the guns. Marlow is making a run at two very powerful individuals. I think he's using me as a distraction to keep you guys out of the mix. If you guys think he's after me, you attention will be on protecting me."

Rand's eyes narrowed, "It makes sense. There was the white powdery substance on the boat. I wouldn't be surprised if it was heroin."

Heather nodded. "So how do we play it to put him off?"

Hector's eyes narrowed, "Protect Stephanie and lay trap."

I noticed that Ranger, Rand and all the others were wearing similar smiles. Looks like Marlow had bitten off more than he could chew when he pulled the tiger's tail. Stupid fool didn't realize the tigers were bound together with a common goal. He may have pulled one tail, but it set about a chain reaction that pitted him against an army of tigers all with the same agenda.

_I know, I'm late with posting. Sorry. I've been working on Family Ties. I only have 2 more chapters of that story yet to go and plan to finish it up Friday. I will try to get another chapter of Heartbreak for you on Friday as well. _


	38. An Explosive Day

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them.**__ There's a part in here with you in mind Knitter. This is just the start, the real fun will come later in a chapter or two._

Chapter 38: An Explosive Day

Stephanie's POV:

I set the last search in the out box and stood, stretching to get the kinks out. I was about to shut my computer down when I had a sudden thought. I sat back down and quickly put in the information. I couldn't believe my eyes when the information came up on the screen. I fished my phone out of my purse and called Hector. I was hoping Casey was with him. He picked up on the second ring and said, "Stephanie?"

"Hi Hector. Is Casey with you?"

"Si."

A second later Casey was asking, "What can I do for you Stephanie?"

"I need some information from you. Can you and Hector come up to my cubicle on 5?"

I heard Casey say something but it was muffled. A moment later he was saying, "No problem. We'll be right up."

I didn't have long to wait. I saw Hector's eyes harden as he looked at my computer screen. Casey's eyes widened at the picture on the screen. Isn't that…"

I nodded, "Yes. But I need to get some information to know if I'm on the right track."

"Sure. What do you need to know?"

Nearly two hours later I had all the information I needed. I sent an email to Tank and Ranger and within seconds both men as well as Rand were at my desk looking at the monitor in front of me. Rand's jaw muscles were clenching. "Whoever did the Intel on this case needs a lesson in how to do their job."

I bit my lip and Ranger's eyes narrowed, "What are you thinking Babe?"

I hesitated, "I'm thinking it might have been deliberate. Can you give me the name of the person who gathered the information you were given?"

Rand sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "It was Sheila Jones. A real, first class bitch that everyone would love to toss in the Pacific. She's always given great Intel before, that's the only reason she hasn't been terminated."

I typed in some information as the guys around me talked more about the case and the new development. When the search came back I quickly read the information I received on Sheila until I hit the line of family. Wanting to make sure I had found what I thought I did, I checked the other search and sure enough. There it was in black and white. I looked up at Rand and grinned, "I think I found the reason your Sheila Jones gave you the information she did. Look where it says family members of interest."

The guys were all looking over my shoulder reading and as they read the information I could hear there muffled swearing. Rand's eyes narrowed, "I need to call Heather and get her set up."

"Did I hear someone call my name?"

Just then Ram and Heather joined us. I was slightly surprised to see Ram holding Heather's hand. I was even more surprised when I saw the rings on their wedding fingers. My eyes widened and I asked, "You two have an announcement to make?"

Heather grinned and looked up at Ram with loving eyes, "We got married in Atlantic City."

There were congratulations all around and then Heather noticed the screen on my computer. "I'll be damned. So the cold bitch pariah is related to her huh?" She turned to Rand, "How are we going to do this?"

Rand tilted his head to each side in a barely noticeable motion and then his eyes narrowed and he replied, "I say we call the Seattle office and tell them we found information on the real head of the Stewart operation. We can tell them we are putting a sting in operation that will take them out as well as Alexander Ramos and Vito Grizzoli. I'm betting it will be too much for Sheila to resist. She'll arrange to come here and "help" us get Intel."

Heather nodded, "You could be right. Now we just have to get Ramos and Grizzoli to go along with the sting."

All the guys except Casey looked at me. Heather and Casey gave them puzzled looks but it was Casey who spoke up first, "Why are you guys looking at Stephanie that way?"

I shrugged, "Alexander won't be a problem but I'll have to see if I can get in to talk to Vito."

Heather raised her eyebrows in surprise, "You aren't seriously thinking of letting a civilian get involved Rand?"

Rand laughed, "Stephanie isn't your ordinary civilian. I believe she can help us with this part of the plan."

Heather turned to me, "Nothing personal, but I just don't think it's a good idea. I mean, we are grateful that you found the information" she paused and turned a speculative look at Ranger before continuing, "and it makes me wonder just how you were able to find the information so quickly, but talking to these guys just wouldn't be a good idea. They are both bad news."

Rand, Ranger, Tank, Ram, and Hector were all silently laughing as Heather finished talking. She turned to them and folded her arms, narrowing her gaze on Ram she demanded, "What is so damn funny?"

Ram lost it and his laughter was no longer silent. He bent over at the waist and was laughing so hard that several of the other guys came over to see what was going on. Lester was grinning at seeing Ram laugh so hard, he just shook his head and asked, "What's up with Ram? Care to let the rest of us in on the joke?"

Heather started tapping the toe of one foot, "I don't call it a joke to be concerned for a civilian's safety. I don't think it's a good idea for Rand to let Stephanie talk to Alexander Ramos and Vito Grizzoli is all. They are too dangerous!"

Heather's eyes opened wide as several of the other Merry Men started chuckling. Lester slapped Ram on the back and said, "Ram old buddy, I think its time you introduce your lady to the Bombshell Bounty Hunter."

Ram had finally gotten control of himself and nodded. He chuckled again at Lester's comment and nodded, "Come on Heather. Let's go on down to the apartment and I'll tell you a story."

They left with Heather promising to get even with Ram if he didn't stop laughing and tell her what was so damn funny. I looked up at Rand and asked, "Who would you like to talk to first?"

"I already know you have pull with Ramos, let's set up a meeting with Grizzoli."

I nodded. I took out my phone and called Joe. He answered on the second ring, "Morelli."

"Hey Joe, its Stephanie."

"Whatever it is I'm not interested."

"Now Joe, surely you can't still be upset."

"Your mother destroyed my hair Cupcake! I had to get my fucking head shaved!"

I winced, "Well, this doesn't involve my family. As a matter of fact, it has to do with Terry's uncle Vito."

I could hear Joe sit up and take notice. He had on his cop voice as he asked, "What do you need with Vito?"

"I need to set up a meeting. I'm fine if you or Terry want to be there."

I could tell from the way he was hesitating that he wanted me nowhere near Vito. "You're going to do this whether I help you or not, aren't you?"

"Yes. Its important."

"Alright Cupcake. I'll talk with Vito and get back to you."

"Thanks Joe."

I disconnected the call and looked up at the guys, "That's all we can do for now. Joe will get back to me."

Ranger nodded, "I'm available whenever the meeting gets set. Hector, Tank, Rand and I will go with you when the meeting gets set." Ranger turned to Tank, "Rearrange whatever you need to make it happen."

My phone started to ring and I pulled it out of my purse to answer the call. It was Lula and she sounded like she was in a panic, "Stephanie…I'm at the Cluck in a Bucket and Avril Downey is here getting chicken. She's in line ahead of me. Get yo skinny white ass down here so we can catch this bitch before she runs."

I disconnected and tossed the phone back in my bag. I stood and said, "Lula has one of my skips in her sights and I need to get to the Cluck in a Bucket before the skip leaves."

Rand winced but bravely followed me. I thought I heard him mutter, 'At least I have all my clothes clean so I'll have a couple changes when disaster strikes.'

I sent him a glare but he just gave me an innocent look. We got into the elevator and headed down to the garage. We stopped on 4 and Heather and Ram were at the elevator door. Ram was bent over laughing and Heather was standing there with her hands on her waist. When the doors opened she turned to us and rolled her eyes. She stepped into the elevator and said, "I'll see _you_ later." When the doors closed she muttered, "There's no way all that could possibly happen to one person."

I had an idea Ram had tried to tell her about some of my more notable skips. I gave a mental shrug and looked at Rand. He winked and I knew he was aware of what I was thinking. I bit my lip as I thought about it, but decided to go ahead, "I have a skip I need to pick up. Would you like to come with us Heather? It might give you a better idea of what I do."

Heather paused but I could see the look in her eyes. Finally she nodded and said, "Sure."

I got into the Cayenne on the driver's side, Rand rode shotgun and Heather got in the back. We made it to the Cluck in a Bucket in good time and made our way inside. I was momentarily taken aback at my first look at Lula. She was wearing a barely there lime green spandex dress and a hat that fit snuggly on her head. The part that gave me pause was the Peacock feathers that cascaded from the hat in all directions. Lula's head looked like a Peacock with its feathers spread open. I noticed Heather's deer in headlights look at her first glimpse of Lula. The minute I entered the room, Lula was booking it in my direction. She grabbed my hand and pointed to where Avril was sitting eating her chicken.

Avril Downey was 6' tall and weighed in at a whopping 495 pounds. She chose that moment to look up from her meal and our eyes locked across the room. Her eyes widened and she grabbed her bucket of chicken and stood. I took a step towards her and she bolted. I muttered, "Shit!" and Lula and I were racing after her. Avril barreled behind the counter and wove her way in and out of the machines frying chicken. As I followed her I could feel the grease clinging to my hair and clothes. It brought back memories of my brief stint at working at the place before the fire. I had almost caught up with Avril when I slipped on the greasy floor and fell on my ass. I felt myself lifted by strong male hands and turned to see Rand grinning at me. We continued after Avril and managed to get to the drive through window which at the moment was blocked. Avril had decided to try making a break for it out of the building through the drive through window. She was half in and half out, and totally stuck.

The manager glared at me as if her trying to go through the window was somehow my fault. At that moment I heard the first of the sirens. The guys from the fire department came in grinning, and when they saw exactly what was going on they doubled over with laughter. The cops weren't far behind. Carl and Big Dog were the first on the scene with Morelli not far behind. Morelli was grinning ear to ear at the sight we were making and I could see him saying something smart that had Carl and Big Dog laughing. Joe started to laugh but it was cut short as he slipped on a spot of grease and went forward into a pot of cooking chicken and knocked it over. The boiling oil splashed onto the floor just as one of the workers was lighting the candle on a birthday cake. She was so startled she dropped the lit match and the grease instantly caught fire. Everyone stopped joking and started booking it to the exit. The firemen got behind Avril and pushed her through the window before jumping through themselves. All the customers and workers got out to the parking lot and fortunately the building was empty save for the chicken parts when the explosion rocked the block.

Carl grinned at me and said, "Man Steph, now Joe's burning down the town. What did you do to him to transfer some of that karma of yours onto him?"

"Yuck it up Carl. Can you take Avril in to the station for me? I'll be down for my body receipt later."

Carl nodded, "Sure."

We headed back to the Cayenne. I went to get the keys out of my purse and realized I had no purse. "Shit!"

Rand asked, "What's the matter Sweetness?"

"My purse. It must have dropped when I was chasing Avril."

Heather frowned, "What's the problem?"

"I don't have keys….or a phone….and"

At that moment I saw the three black SUV's in the parking lot. Ranger, Tank, Hector, Casey, Ram, Vince, Woody, Binkie, Hal, Lester and Bobby were wall standing there smiling in our direction. Hector walked over and patted my shoulder. He unlocked the back and pulled out a blanket and set it on the front passenger seat once he had the door unlocked. He helped me in and then went around and opened the driver's side door and hotwired the Cayenne. Rand got in the driver's seat and Hector told us he'd see us back at Rangeman. Rand asked Heather if she was riding with us but she shook her head and said she had some apologizing to do to Ram. We headed out and in no time we were back at Rangeman and I was in the shower washing off the grease from Cluck in a Bucket with some help from Rand.


	39. Thoughts

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**Special thanks to Vanessa Loor for her help on what Hector chose to call Casey. **__I was struggling with this and posed the question to her. She gave me several choices as well as her valuable input. Thanks a lot for your help._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them.**__ There's a part in here with you in mind Knitter. _

Chapter 39: Thoughts

Heather's POV:

I didn't believe Ram when he told me about Stephanie's cars blowing up and her problems with skips. When she asked if I wanted to ride with them, I thought it was a golden opportunity to see firsthand what kind of person she was. I was stunned by the woman in the Peacock hat…and that was the person Stephanie usually had partnering her when she went after skips. Just when I was starting to come to terms with her usual partner, the woman they were after took off and all hell broke loose. I found myself following behind Rand as he followed behind Stephanie and Lula as I learned the woman's name was. I was having trouble walking on the greasy floor let alone running on it and wondered how Stephanie was managing to keep on her feet when she slid and fell on her ass. Rand lifted her and they were off again. Lula seemed to be having the same problems that I was having and she was doing it on 5" heels.

I was at just the right spot to see the woman Stephanie was after come from the back and head to the drive up window. I watched in stunned horror as the woman tried to crawl through the window. When she got stuck halfway out the window I wasn't surprised. I was wondering how we were going to get her out when I heard the sirens. I was surprised they were arriving already since it had just happened. I wondered if the owner had them on speed dial. I was puzzled by the way the firemen and police officers were laughing when they came in. Maybe there was a bit of truth in what Ram was telling me. I had to laugh at the bald headed cop. He had said something to the other two cops and they all started laughing. About that time he lost his footing and fell into the pot of cooking chicken, knocking it over. The oil splashed onto the floor startling a woman in the back lighting candles on a birthday cake. She dropped the lit match and all hell broke loose. We were all hauling ass out of there and I noticed the firemen shoving the woman stuck in the window through the window and jumping out after her. Fortunately we all made it out before the place exploded.

When Rand asked if I was riding with them back to Rangeman, I glanced over at Ram and saw him standing there with a huge smile on his face. I suddenly felt warm all over and told Rand I would ride back with Ram and his group as I had some apologizing to do. When he'd told me all those things I thought he was pulling my leg, but after the events of the last hour I was starting to think he hadn't even begun to scratch the surface. I made my way over to Ram and wrapped my arms around his neck. He lowered his mouth to mine and the world slipped away for several long minutes. When we got back to Rangeman, Ram walked me to his…or rather our apartment and we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening otherwise occupied.

Casey's POV:

When the call came in that Stephanie's trackers went off line at the Cluck in a Bucket I couldn't believe the hub of activity. I'd never seen so many big men move so quickly. I was worried about Stephanie. I knew what it would do to Hector if anything ever happened to her. Hell, I'd be just as devastated. She'd become a wonderful friend in the short time I'd known her. I was also worried about Rand. I knew he was FBI and had been taking care of himself as well as me for more than half his life, but I still worried about him. Hector squeezed my hand and I turned to him. He motioned for me to go with him and I didn't have to be told twice. We got in the back of one of the SUV's and in no time we were at the scene. I was never so glad to see Rand and Stephanie as I was when we pulled up and I saw them standing a good distance from the building. The building was engulfed in flames and then suddenly, boom!

I watched Hector jog over and open the Cayenne and spread a blanket for Stephanie before going around and getting the vehicle started. Rand got in and Hector headed back to where I was standing. Once Stephanie was on her way back to Rangeman, it was as if it was a signal for the rest of us to move out. I sat in the back close to Hector so Heather could ride back with us. I wanted so badly to lay my head on Hector's shoulder and take comfort that Steph and Rand were okay. As if he sensed what I was feeling, Hector put his arm around my waist and pulled me close. He put his mouth to my ear and spoke softly, "Never be afraid show me you need me mi vida."( _my life_)

I leaned into him and felt so much better. In no time we were pulling into the Rangeman garage. I got out after Hector and his arm wrapped around my waist and I put my arm around his shoulder. We headed up to our apartment and the door had no more than closed and our mouths were fused together.

Ranger's POV:

It was all I could do to stand back and watch as Rand comforted Stephanie. I was so used to being the one to protect her and comfort her and now he was there. I was glad she had found someone though. I could never give her the commitment she needed. When she had come to me and asked if there was any chance for us, I'd had to be honest with her and tell her as much as I would always love her and be there for her when she needed me, I could give her no more than what I was already giving her. I was sad to see her hurt by my actions and when she decided to take the trip to Seattle, I was glad she had asked Hector to go with her. All my men would have protected her had she asked them to go. However, Hector is the one I trusted most with her because I knew he wouldn't be tempted to act on her vulnerability.

I have known Rand a long time and knew him to be a good man. He was what I'd always wanted for Stephanie. From the events of the last few days it looked like I was in a win-win situation. Not only did I get to see my Babe happy and fulfilled as a person, but I also got to keep her close to me and be as much a part of her life as I was able to be. I had quite an interesting chat with Rand this morning while Stephanie was doing searches. We talked of the past, what was going on now and Rand had told me how much he loved Stephanie and his plans of building a life with her. He was even willing to have me and my men as part of their lives. When I asked him why he was willing to do that his comment to me had been, 'Simple. I love her with all I am. I will do anything in my power to make her happy. She loves you and your men. I won't take what she loves away from her.' I'd asked him if he would be jealous of the love she showed to us and his reply was that he trusted her.

I saw the way he looked at me and knew what his question would be before I gave permission to ask it. He wanted to know why I refused to be the one to give her what she needed. I reminded him of the life I've lived for the past 10 years. The enemies I've made and what those enemies would do to her if they thought they could use her to get to me. I acknowledged his argument that her being my friend would be just as dangerous and I agreed. Then I told him the one thing that would always keep me on this side of a relationship with her. The one thing that no one else in the world would ever know. The reason I could be no more than a friend to the only woman I had ever loved with all of me. He told me that she would have understood. I nodded, because I had no choice but to agree. I knew if I had disclosed what I just told him to Stephanie, she would have told me it didn't matter. As a matter of fact she would be pissed if she ever found out this was what I had used and that I had taken her decision away from her.

I also knew that Rand understood my reasoning. He even thanked me for letting her fly free so that they found each other. He accepted my need to always keep her safe and even said it would be a relief to have all the added help considering how complicated her life was. I was happy knowing I would get to have my Babe close to watch over. I was also happy that I would get to see her in the settled relationship I had wanted for her. When Hector hotwired the Cayenne and they pulled out of the lot, I turned back to the SUV Tank and I had come in and told the others it was time to go. We headed back to Rangeman where we would make plans for dealing to the newest threat to Stephanie's happiness. My eyes narrowed and gleamed with the plans I was making to take out the latest threat. When I got done with those two bitches, they'd wish for a quick end.


	40. Meetings and Setting Plans in Motion

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them.**__ There's a part in here with you in mind Knitter. However, the next chapter is where the action will occur._

Chapter 40: Meetings and Setting Plans in Motion

Stephanie's POV:

It was two days later that Morelli finally called and told me he had a meeting set up with Vito. He wanted to know who was coming with me so he could let Vito know. I told him Ranger, Rand, Hector, and Tank would be with me. He gave me the information on the meeting and I headed into Ranger's office to let him know when we needed to be there. It was decided Tank and Ranger would go in one vehicle and Hector would ride with Rand and I. When we arrived at the club where we were meeting Vito, Morelli and Terry both were there. I nodded to her and she returned the nod. We all walked in together and I knew Ranger and the guys were cataloging where all Vito's men were located. I made my way over to where the old man was sitting and stopped.

Vito Grizzoli looked me in the eye and after staring for several minutes he motioned for me to sit down. I sat across from him and said, "Thank you for agreeing to see us."

"You have spunk girlie. Not many men willing to look me in the eye, but here you are bold as brass not backing down an inch."

I nodded, "Something my dad taught me. Never be afraid to look into somebodies eyes."

Vito nodded, "Good advice. Now suppose you tell me what you want."

"Have you heard of the Stewarts family?"

Vito's eyes grew cold, "I heard of them."

"Did you know they were the middlemen for someone planning on coming in and taking over your territory?"

Vito chuckled, "I heard they got taken out a few days ago."

I smiled, "That they did. But the people they worked for are still out there."

Vito's eyes narrowed, "Your point?"

"Their man Marlow made a threat. We are looking at dealing with him and thought we'd take care of who he's working for too, but we need your help. We want to set them up in a sting using you and Alexander Ramos to draw them out."

Vito looked at Ranger and the others and for several seconds the tension was high. He turned back to me and asked, "How do I know I can trust you?"

"Ask Joe or Terry."

"And if they say not to trust you?"

"I don't think they will. I know Joe won't. I believe even though we are no longer involved, he would agree that I can be trusted. I also think Terry would say the same thing. When I give my word I don't go back on it."

Vito looked to Morelli and then to Terry. He returned his gaze to me, "How do you know Ramos will go along with this?"

Terry spoke softly, "Alexander once proposed to her."

Vito's eyes widened. He thought for a moment and then said, "I'm in."

I held my hand out to him and he shook my hand before telling me, "I can see why Joe thinks so highly of you. You're something special; my own niece speaks highly of you, even though she'd like to hate you."

I turned to Terry, "She was smart enough to realize something it took me a while to understand."

I saw Terry nod in my direction; she understood exactly what I was telling her. With that, I stood and told Vito we'd let him know when we were planning the sting and we would keep him in on the planning. We headed back out of the club. Once I was back in the Cayenne, I pulled out my phone and called Alexander. I explained what I needed and he agreed to a meeting. We had 90 minutes to get to Deal. I called Ranger and told him of the newest development. Seventy minutes later we were entering the bar in Deal. I walked over and sat down across from Alexander Ramos and told him about the sting we were planning. Alexander was an easier sell than Vito. He would be waiting for further instructions.

When we got back to Rangeman, Ranger asked Ram and Heather to join us in the conference room. We discussed the plan and when everything was set, Heather made the call to Seattle and told the head of that branch office she'd found the people behind the Stewarts. The boss put her on hold for a moment and when he came back on she was informed Sheila Jones would be flying out to offer her services in gathering the Intel. Heather hesitated and suggested she could handle this end but was overruled. Smiling, Heather did her best to convey her unhappiness with having additional help but accepted and said she'd pick up the other woman at the Newark airport.

I called Morelli and gave him the information to give Vito and called Alexander. It was getting late so Rand and I went down to his apartment and he fixed us dinner. When we had finished eating, Rand pulled a pineapple upside down cake out of the oven. He cut me a huge piece and brought it to me. I took my first bite and my eyes opened wide in surprise. I moaned in pleasure at the wonderful taste. I didn't think anyone could make a better cake than my mom or Ella, but the cake Rand had made was delightful. Once I had taken my last bite, Rand lifted me in his arms and carried me off to the bedroom. He gently laid me on the bed and stripped me down and then removed his own clothes. We loved each other well into the night before snuggling together and sleeping.

When I woke the next morning and made my way to my desk, Heather was there with a woman of about 5'5" in height with a chunky frame. She was dressed to the nines with not a hair out of place. Heather smiled as I neared them and introduced me to Sheila. I decided to skip the wait and started not liking her on sight. Something about her reminded me of Joyce Barnhardt and everyone knew how much I despised Joyce. Sheila managed to look down her nose at me even though she was 2" shorter than I was.

I knew from the tingling that Rand had just come onto the floor. The sour look on Sheila's face made it obvious of her distaste for him. He came up and rested his hands on my shoulders. I noticed Sheila's eyes narrowed and gave me another look. We said our goodbyes and as Rand walked me to my desk I whispered, "She doesn't like you. She's wondering what's between us."

He nodded. "I've never liked her either but I never had a reason to question the information she gave us before this assignment."

I noticed Casey walking towards my cubicle. I also noticed the way Sheila's eye lit up when she saw him. I got a sick feeling in my stomach from the way she was looking at Casey. I whispered to Rand, "I don't like how she's looking at Casey."

Rand's eyes narrowed and he turned his gaze towards her. I bit my lip and turned on my computer. I sent an email to Hector and let him know what I had seen and how I was feeling. He answered my email within seconds. It was simple and to the point. _Stephanie, __gracias. I take care her. Hector_

Casey came over to my cubicle and asked, "Are you going to the bonds office today Stephanie?"

I grinned, "I'm planning on it in an hour or so. You want to go with me today?"

Casey's face lit up like it was Christmas morning. "Yeah. If you don't mind. I'm off today but Hector has to work. You and Rand are the only other people I know."

I smiled, "Well after today, you'll know some more people. We'll leave in about an hour. If you want to wait in the beak room I'll come get you."

He grinned, "Sure."

Rand grinned as we watched Casey make his way, "I can't wait to see how he handles everything."

I sat down and pulled up the information on the skips I was going after today. Rand kissed the top of my head and said he was going to keep Casey company. I told him I would come get them when I was ready. One hour and fifteen minutes later I was walking into the break room with the information I needed for the day. I grinned at Rand and Casey and asked if they were ready. As we headed for the elevator I noticed Sheila was on her cell phone. Once we entered the elevator and the doors closed, I looked up at the camera and said, "Hector, she made a phone call as we were leaving. I think she told someone we were on our way out of the building. I need a tail on us."

Casey looked worried, "What do you think she's going to do?"

I shrugged, "I don't know Casey, but I trust Hector to handle it."

We got into the Cayenne and I headed out towards the Bonds office. I noticed the car pull out behind us and thought I recognized Marlow at the wheel. Two seconds later two black SUV's pulled into traffic behind the car. I lucked out as we neared the Bonds office, a car was pulling out and I took the spot. We headed inside and I couldn't help but smile at Casey's reaction to Lula. His eyes lit up with humor as he took in the 5'5", 230 pound black woman wearing a fake Leopard fur hat that hugged her bald head, and a giraffe print spandex top that barely covered her ample chest and a zebra print spandex mini skirt that barely covered the necessary areas. She had on 5" black FMP's as well. When we walked in, Lula and Connie gave Casey a once over and Lula licked her lips.

I chuckled and told Lula to watch it because Casey was spoken for. Lula gave me a sour look and said, "What you mean he's spoken for? You already got Rand, you can't be keeping no two hot guys."

Casey grinned, "Actually Hector and I are a couple."

"No way! You mean to tell me all that delicious male body is gay?"

Casey winked, "You got it."

Lula sighed, "Well damn!"

"You ready to go get our skips?"

Lula stood, "You bet."

I pulled out my phone and made a call. When it was answered I asked, "Is it okay?"

I recognized Tank's voice on the other end, "Give us 5 more minutes Little Girl."

I went through the files Connie had for me on her desk and notice Mooner was in the stack again. When the 5 minutes were up we headed out. Tank and Ranger were standing beside the car I had notice pull into traffic behind us. Ranger grinned at me and said Marlow had been handled and I shouldn't worry anymore. Rand jokingly asked if he was still breathing. Tank threw back his head and laughed before saying he was very much alive because we needed him to set up the two women. We headed out after Mooner and the other three skips I had researched. It was a very productive day. By the time we returned to Rangeman, I had not only taken Mooner down to the station to get rescheduled, but I had caught 4 skips and there had been no explosions or rolling in garbage or anything. Rand looked at me surprised when we pulled into the garage at Rangeman. I asked what was so shocking and he said he was surprised he still had the same clothes on and they were clean.

I stuck my tongue out at him and took off for the elevator with Casey behind me. Rand caught up to us as and we rode up to 5. When we got off the elevator I saw Sheila was making eyes at Ranger. She looked our way and looked furious we were all standing there. Tank walked up at that moment and told Ranger they had the goods on Vito Grizzoli and Alexander Ramos. I saw how Sheila's eyes lit up and she looked smug. I looked at Rand and saw the way his eyes were hard on the woman before us. Looks like the guys were setting the sting in motion. With any luck, Sheila and Marlow would show up with their partner and attempt a takeover.

_I know many of you would like to know Ranger's reason for not allowing himself to be all that Stephanie needs. Sorry, but we will get no more on the subject from him. Stephanie won't find out that he took the choice of whether she could live with it or not away from her. _


	41. Executing

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them.**__ There's a part in here with you in mind Knitter. This is the chapter. I'd be interested in what you think the reason is M._

Chapter 41: Executing

Stephanie's POV:

The alarm rang at 4 a.m. and I opened my eyes to see Rand slipping into his workout clothes. I sighed, "I don't suppose I could talk you into coming back to bed with me?"

Rand leaned over and kissed me, "I need to get some practice in if things are going down tonight. You could always come with and do a little exercise of your own."

I bit my lip. "I hate exercise."

Rand smiled, "I know. Your choice Sweetness." He gave me another kiss and stood. "I'll see you in a couple hours."

Since that would only make it 6 a.m., I doubted I would be awake when he returned. I rolled over and closed my eyes and I was once again in dreamland. When I surfaced again it was a little after 8. I got up and headed to the bathroom to get ready for the day. Today was a Rangeman day. I dressed in cargos and t-shirt, both black of course, and my boots…also black. I brushed my hair out and then pulled it back into a ponytail. I took the elevator up one floor to 5 and headed to my desk. I stopped in stunned disbelief as I looked at my in basket. I turned around looking for the culprit but I only saw the guys I knew. Amazing in all the times I've worked here I have never met the man who puts so much work into my in basket. I turned and stormed into Ranger's office. He was talking with a man I'd never seen before and when the door slammed open the man jumped about a foot.

Ranger chuckled and said, "You need to be aware of your surroundings Rodriguez."

My eyes narrowed, "The same Rodriguez that just put 2 months' worth of searches in my in box?"

The man visibly swallowed. He wasn't your usual Merry Man. He stood an inch taller than me and was probably 10 pounds lighter than me. He looked to be in his mid-40's and he was balding. He wore wire rim glasses and was dressed in a black silk shirt and black dress slacks and dress shoes. He wore an elaborate ring on his wedding finger and the way he looked at Ranger gave me pause. Ranger didn't seem uncomfortable with the closeness or with the way the other man was looking at him.

Rodriguez said, "Well, I'm so far behind on the searches that I just split the files in half. It would help if you worked here full time. No one has your talent for searches. Yours are the only ones I don't have to re-do."

Ranger grinned, "Told you Babe. The offer of a full time job is still open."

I smiled, "I'll think about it."

Rodriguez looked like a little kid on Christmas morning. I rolled my eyes and headed back to my desk. By lunchtime I had made inroads into the files in my in box. My stomach was starting to growl and I knew if I didn't eat soon the growl would turn into a mighty roar. I locked my computer so only my password would get the search to open and stood, stretching. I saw Rand walking my way and smiled. He held up a sack and I smiled even wider. As he stopped before me I closed my eyes and sniffed.

I moaned and said, "Pino's Meatball Subs."

Rand gave an exaggerated bow and said, "At your service my queen."

I couldn't help but laugh which drew the attention of some of the guys. Lester popped up and asked, "Is that a Meatball Sub I smell?"

I answered back, "It sure is. But it has my name written all over it."

"Aw, come on Beautiful. You sure you don't want to share."

"Hmm, let me see if there is any left when I get done."

Vince piped up with, "There's your answer Les. No Pino Sub for you."

I narrowed my eyes at Vince and then walked with Rand to the break room. My eyes opened wide when I saw how many sandwiches he had gotten. I looked at him and he nodded, "Casey and Hector are joining us, but I figured there would be others who might be hungry as well."

I reached up and kissed Rand. "I'll be right back."

I took one of the subs and headed back to Lester's desk. He looked up and asked, "Miss me already Beautiful?"

I grinned, "I just thought I would share, seems there was an extra sandwich after all."

"Thanks Beautiful! This will hit the spot."

I headed back to the break room and saw Hector and Casey had joined us. We talked about trivial things while we ate, and at the end of the meal Sheila walked in with Hal. Hal's eyes lit up when he saw the meatball subs. I smiled and said, "Hey Hal, Rand picked up that Meatball Sub you asked for."

Hal didn't even bat an eye, "Thanks Rand." and he grabbed one of the subs. He turned and looked at the woman beside him and hesitated for only a moment before telling her, "Ella has the fridge stocked with sandwiches if you'd care to look in there and find one."

Sheila narrowed her eyes and went to take a Sub. Hal's eyes widened, "Oh you can't do that. The guys already ordered." He moved her away from the Subs and hollered out onto the floor, "Hey guys, the Pino's subs are here. If you want yours you better haul ass in here and get one before someone else takes it."

Within seconds every one of the guys working except the two on monitors was in the break room grabbing a sub. Bobby grinned and picked up three. "Since the guys at monitors can't leave, I'll take theirs to them."

When he left, the last of the subs went with him. Sheila glared at all of us and said we were being extremely rude. Rand shrugged and told her he had no idea she'd be here at lunchtime today or he would have been happy to get an extra for her. She tossed her head in the air and left. Hal was grinning ear to ear as he followed behind her. I waited till they were out of earshot before letting the laugh I was holding in out. Casey joined me. When we finished eating we cleared the table and tossed our garbage in the trash.

Casey was headed back to his desk where he was working on security plans for a house. As we parted he let out a deep sigh before telling us he had to get back to work. Rand frowned, "Something wrong?"

Casey ran his hands through his hair, "I'll say. This house is a nightmare to set up security for. The owner doesn't want anything to show and the way the house is designed its giving me a headache."

I turned to Rand, "Why don't you take a look. You worked construction for a while. Maybe you might be able to suggest something Casey hasn't thought of."

Casey's eyes lit up, "That would be great, if you wouldn't mind Rand."

Rand nodded, "Alright. I'll take a look."

They headed off and I turned to Hector. He was watching Casey with his heart in his eyes. I put my hand on his shoulder, "You happy?"

Hector turned and smiled, "Si. Very."

We hugged and Hector walked me back to my cubicle. Sheila was sitting at my desk trying to get my computer to work. I cleared my throat and she jumped. I narrowed my eyes and said, "This is my desk. I'm sure Hal showed you to a spot you could use for the day so I'm not sure what you are doing here."

Sheila started sputtering and saying how the computer she was using wasn't cooperating so she was just looking for another one to use. I rolled my eyes. She looked one last time at my computer and got up. "I think there must be something wrong with this computer. It wouldn't let me in."

I pressed a couple buttons on the keyboard and the screen opened. I turned to Sheila with a smile, "Its particular about who it will give information to I guess."

Sheila stormed off. I met Hector's eyes and he gave me a nod. I knew he was going down to his office to see where she had been since the break room. He stopped at Ranger's office before heading to check out the camera footage. I knew there was going to be a meeting between Vito, Alexander, and Marlow and his partners this afternoon. I also knew that if everything went right, tonight the guys would be rounding up Marlow and the others he was working with. It was nearly 5 p.m. when Ram and Heather made their way to Ranger's office. They were only in there for a few minutes when the door opened and they were headed to the conference room. Several of the guys followed them in there. It was a couple minutes before I saw Rand go in. I sat back in my seat and when I saw Hector headed my way I sat up.

Hector stopped and said, "We go."

I locked my computer and stood to follow him into the conference room. I noticed Hal positioned himself between us and anyone trying to get in. Ram and Heather filled us in on the meeting that took place that afternoon. Heather had it on tape that Marlow and his partners were setting up Alexander and Vito for this evening and they were planning on taking them out. Ranger handed me his phone and told me to make the calls. I called Morelli and told him the trap was set for this evening and that Marlow and his partners intended to take out Vito and Alexander. He said he'd let Vito know and I hung up from him and called Alexander. When I heard his laugh, the hair on my arms stood up and I got goosebumps.

When the meeting was over we all left to get something to eat and get ready for the fireworks tonight. Rand and I went down to his apartment where he made us steaks and baked potatoes with green bean casserole and cherry cobbler with ice cream. We cleaned up when we were done and headed up to the conference room where we were meeting the rest of the team. We were the last ones to show up, but that was only because the dessert was so wonderful I needed to have two pieces. When it was time to head down to the garage, Ranger told Rand and me that we would be riding with him and Tank. We nodded and got in the back of the Cayenne. In no time we were at the Marina that only a few days ago was the scene of another take down. We took our places and waited.

Vito and Alexander showed up as scheduled and everything was working like clockwork. Fifteen minutes later Marlow pulled up with Sheila and another woman. When she stepped out of the vehicle I recognized her from the Space Needle. Jillian looked like the Ice Queen as she walked forward beside Marlow. The smirk on her face showing she thought she was the one in charge. She stopped before Vito and Alexander and said, "Well gentlemen, looks like you've come to the end of your days."

Vito's gravelly laugh sent a chill down my spine, "You think you have the jump on us do you?"

Jillian nodded, "I know I have the jump on you old man. I'm taking over and there's not thing one you can do about it."

Alexander spoke up, "Taking over what exactly?"

"I'm going to be the one to go to for guns and drugs. Before I'm done there won't be a Harry the Hammer either. I'm going to be in charge of everything that comes through Trenton."

Vito's eyes narrowed, "You aren't doing this on your own."

Jillian lowered her lashes and smiled widely, "No?" She laughed, "Maybe you're right. Remember that young girl you both used 35 years ago? The young girl you both made think you loved her?"

At that moment Sheila stepped out of the car and said, "Hello gentlemen. Let me introduce myself."

Both Vito and Alexander started laughing. Sheila looked furious and pulled a gun. "Don't you dare laugh at me. I loved you and you both used me."

Vito shook his head, "You loved the money we were both paying you. Did you think we didn't know you were taking money from both of us? If you thought you were getting away with it then you were a fool. Nothing new there though."

Sheila shrieked with rage. "Kill them! Kill them both! I know enough about both their businesses to take over right now."

Marlow brought his gun up but Jillian held her hand up, "Are you sure you wouldn't rather have them watch you destroy them, their families and business?"

"I just want them dead."

Jillian smiled, "Alright mother. But first tell me which of them is my real father."

Sheila looked at Jillian and frowned, "Your father is the man that raised you."

Jillian's eyes narrowed, "Then why did he always tell me I was my father's child all the time?"

"Your father was insane. He refused to believe you were his child because he was convinced he could never father a child."

Jillian gave Sheila a hard look and you could see the shift from reality to insanity in her eyes. I wondered what type of childhood she'd had. She put her hand down and drew her own gun from her purse. "In that case…" She aimed the gun at Alexander.

Heather stepped out at that moment and said, "This is the FBI. Put the guns down and raise your hands in the air."

The two women screamed in rage and Jillian swung her gun in the direction of Heather to take aim. Ram took the shot from wherever he was watching and there was a hole in the middle of Jillian's forehead. Marlow turned and took aim at Ranger. Ranger got off a shot before Marlow finished sighting and Marlow's head no longer looked the same. Sheila had also taken a gun out but she turned her gun in the direction of Vito and Alexander. I took off running and knocked into her taking her into the water with me. I was able to make my way to the surface and was about to get out when I felt someone grab my foot and pull me under. I opened my eyes underwater to see Sheila bringing a knife towards me. I twisted and managed to avoid the knife as I brought my knee up into her midsection. The blow caught her off guard and she did a quick inhale of breath. Unfortunately for her it wasn't air she took into her lungs but water. Before I could do much else, Hector was there grabbing her away from me and he hit her in the throat, knocking her unconscious. I pushed off to the surface and Rand was there ready to pull me out.

Rand pulled me out of the water and wrapped his arms around me. Vince handed us a blanket and Rand wrapped me in the blanket before pulling me closer to his body. Once he was sure I was okay, Vince went to help Hector. I heard a couple gunshots and sounds of fighting. I lifted my head to see what was going on but there wasn't much to see. The guys from Rangeman were rounding up the men Jillian and Sheila had staked out here to help them take out Vito and Alexander. Jillian and Marlow were dead and quite possibly so was Sheila. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and pointed it out to Rand. By now, Hector had climbed out of the water and had Sheila lying on the dock. Vince handed him a blanket and Rand took me over and handed me to Hector.

I was confused where he was going when Rand said to Hector, "I trust you to protect her. There's another danger I need to asses."

Hector nodded and I watched as Rand went in the direction I had pointed. He grabbed the man I had seen and the two started fighting. The fact that he only had one good hand didn't slow him down at all. I had a feeling that Rand was a master in the martial arts. In no time the man he'd gone after was on the ground not moving. Rand cuffed him and handed the man over to one of the local FBI Agents. I noticed the surprised look on their faces and knew it was not someone they expected to be in on it. Rand made his way over to me and Heather and Ranger arrived at the same time.

Heather was trying to catch her breath from the fight she'd been in with a wiry little guy who didn't want to give up. "What was he doing here?"

Rand answered, "Apparently Sheila was more than just another worker to him. They're partners."

Heather shook her head, "Shit! They're going to have to hire a whole new group for the Washington office."

Rand nodded. Vito and Alexander came over to where I was standing. Alexander held out his hand and said, "Anytime you need me, I'm there."

I smiled, "Thank you."

Vito held out his hand, "You have made yourself a friend today. I won't forget that you saved my life."

"I asked you guys to help. I couldn't let her kill you."

Ranger handed Rand the keys to the Cayenne, "Take Stephanie back to Rangeman so she can get changed. We'll handle the rest of this and we can debrief tomorrow."

Rand nodded. I looked over to where Sheila was lying on the deck and saw a group of birds pecking at her hair and clothes. One of the birds pulled out a tiny fish and the others started pecking even harder in search for more. One of the birds was startled and it went to take off into the air. It let out a huge pile of waste that fell right on her face. I couldn't help laughing. Rand and Heather turned to look and both burst out laughing as well. Heather commented it couldn't have happened to a more deserving bitch. Rand turned me in the direction of the Cayenne and we headed back to Rangeman.


	42. Evaluating Options

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them.**_

Chapter 42: Evaluating Options

Hector's POV:

We got back to Rangeman and I made my way up to my apartment. The minute I opened the door Casey strode towards me and took me in his arms. I wrapped my arms around his waist and our mouths met in a passionate kiss. We couldn't get enough of each other. It didn't take long for the clothes to come off and in no time we were going at it hot and heavy. When we were lying together in bed afterward, Casey laid his head on my chest and asked me how it went. I told him and felt his shudder. I caressed him and told him not to worry. It was over and everyone was safe. I noticed a brochure on the nightstand advertising gay weddings in Atlantic City. I teasingly asked him if he'd been thinking about getting married. He lifted his head and gave me a serious look. He nodded. He said he knew we had agreed to be life partners, but he'd been thinking about making more of a commitment to me.

I readjusted myself in the bed and told him I wouldn't be averse to going through a ceremony with him if that's what he wanted. I loved him with all of me and if this would make it seem more committed to him I could do that. He grinned and said it would be more like showing his love for me to the world. We looked at the pamphlet and decided to take a weekend trip. We were both off the coming weekend and I knew if I asked Ranger he'd let Stephanie come with us. I hoped Rand would be okay with this. I would hate to come between the two brothers but I wouldn't let Rand ruin Casey's excitement about the ceremony.

I turned back to Casey and wrapped him in my arms again. Our mouths met and that was the last I thought about anyone else except this wonderful man in bed beside me until we finished breakfast and were on our way up to the 5th floor for morning report. I had the pamphlet in my pocket to show Rand. I intended talking to him about it today.

Stephanie's POV:

I woke up a little after 8 and got ready for the day. Although technically it was a Bonds day today, I would be working from Rangeman. There was the morning report to get through where last night's activities would be discussed. I slipped into my Rangeman uniform but rebelled against pulling my hair back into a ponytail. I used my hair gel to tame the curls and left it loose. I was rewarded for my effort when I went out to the kitchen. Rand was standing at the stove making breakfast and when I walked into the room he looked at me and his eyes darkened with desire. I went over and wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned my head on his shoulder.

Rand leaned down and kissed me. The smell of something burning pulled us from each other and he laughed, "You're dangerous lady. Have a seat and I'll bring the plates over."

I sat at the table and he brought me a plate of blueberry pancakes with syrup and bacon. I moaned with every bite. I took my dishes to the sink and noticed a pamphlet sitting there about Atlantic City weddings. I picked up the pamphlet and carried it back to the table. I placed it in front of Rand and asked, "What's this?"

Rand's gaze met mine and he hesitated before jumping in with both feet. "I was hoping you would go with me this weekend and we could get married."

My eyes widened and I expected the panic that always accompanied the thought of a wedding to overtake me. To my surprise I felt nothing but calm. I smiled and nodded. "I think I'd like that. But are you sure you wouldn't rather have a big wedding?"

"Do you want a big wedding?"

"No. I had the three ring circus with the Dick. But this is your first wedding…"

Rand kissed my lips, "This is my only wedding. I don't need the circus. I just need you."

I knew my smile grew even wider. "I would like Hector and Casey to be there."

Rand nodded, "I'd like that too. We can ask them after the meeting this morning."

I bit my lip, "I'd like to tell Ranger what we're planning."

Rand nodded, "We could tell everyone at the meeting this morning."

I nodded, "I'd like to give Ranger a heads up first if that's okay."

"I trust your judgment Sweetness."

We headed up to the 5th floor in the elevator. Rand went to the conference room where the meeting would be taking place. I made my way to Ranger's office. Ranger looked up as I entered his office and smiled that almost smile. "Hi Babe, come on in."

I went in and took a seat. I hesitated only a minute before smiling and telling him, "Rand asked me to go to Atlantic City with him and get married."

Ranger's smile turned into a full-fledged smile, "What did you say?"

"I told him yes. We plan to announce it at the meeting. I just wanted you to know first."

Ranger took me in his arms and hugged me. "I'm happy for you Babe. You know I'll always be here if you need me don't you?"

I nodded, "Yes."

He kissed me gently on the lips and suggested we go in and get the meeting started. As I walked beside him I couldn't help but think a kiss that at one time would have had me hot and bothered had no more affect now than making me feel warm and loved in a friendly way. We entered the conference room and Ranger helped me into the chair beside Rand. I noticed Casey smiling widely beside him and Hector winked at me. I listened as Ranger got the meeting under way.

The first thing on the agenda was the sting that occurred the night before. Ranger ran through the outcome to the various factions. Sheila had been taken into custody and was currently in a federal prison with her boss and partner, the former head of the Seattle, Washington's office of the FBI. Jillian and Marlow were both dead, and Vito Grizzoli and Alexander Ramos were both fine and going about their daily business. Then Ranger moved on to getting reports from the different sections of Rangeman.

When Ranger looked at Casey and asked for his report, Casey grinned and said, "I've got a working plan you can present to the client. I have to admit this one was a real headache. Fortunately for me Rand used to work construction and he was able to give me some ideas on how we could give the client the security but hiding the equipment."

Ranger turned to Rand, "What's proposed is doable from a construction standpoint then?"

Rand nodded, "Absolutely."

Ranger nodded. The meeting was winding down and I noticed a couple of guys getting ready to leave. Ranger held up his hand and said, "Stephanie has an announcement. Babe, the floor is yours."

I reached out for Rand's hand. "Rand has asked me to go to Atlantic City and get married. I said yes. We're going this weekend."

There were congratulations all around. When things quieted down, Rand spoke up, "Stephanie doesn't know it yet but ours isn't the only wedding taking place this weekend. As many of you know my brother Casey followed Hector back to Trenton from Seattle. They recently made a commitment to each other to be life partners and exchanged rings. Hector came to me and asked my permission to make his commitment legal. They were also planning on a wedding in Atlantic City this weekend. I had my doubts when Casey first met Hector and Stephanie. Now I am so thankful that he ran into them. Not only has Casey found the love of his life, but so have I. I don't know what I'll be doing in the future, but I plan to stay in Trenton. Stephanie's family and friends are here and so is my family. I know how important all of you are to her and I have no intention of taking her away from you."

I felt the tears burn the backs of my eyes and there was thunderous applause as Rand finished speaking. We spent a short time getting congratulations from the guys and then we talked with Casey and Hector about the weekend. We decided to head out the next day after work. I went to my desk and Rand went with Casey to work on the house where the owner wanted the hidden security. All day the guys stopped by to tell me how happy they were for me. When it was time to quit for the day, I had made good inroads on the work in my in box. I made my way down to the apartment I was using and noticed Ranger was in with Bobby. I thought I saw Bobby taking his blood pressure. I frowned, debating on whether to go in and say anything or to just continue into the apartment. I decided if Ranger wanted me to know what was going on he'd tell me himself.

I had just started to relax when there was a knock on my door. I got up and answered the door to find Rand standing in the hallway. He smiled and I stepped back so he could come in. He took me in his arms and our mouths fused together. When he drew back he asked if I felt like going out for dinner with Casey and Hector to celebrate. I nodded and agreed to meet them in the garage in 30 minutes.

Rand's POV:

I was heading back to my apartment to get changed when I saw Ranger come out of Bobby's office. I frowned but didn't comment. Ranger called out for me to hold up and so I waited. He thanked me for the help I had given Casey on the house and I told him I enjoyed helping. Ranger hesitated for a moment and then asked if I had heard anything from the bureau about the transfer I had asked for. I told him I had put in my resignation as they were determined to have me run the Seattle office. I told them that was a no go. Ranger asked if I had any options I was considering. I told him about the idea of Stephanie's but I hadn't made any final decisions. Then he surprised me by asking me if I would consider working for Rangeman. He detailed what would be involved in the job and even added I could have time off for classes if I decided to get my architect's credentials. He said he could use another person with practical knowledge of buildings and placing security devices in less noticeable ways.

I told him I would consider the offer and thanked him. I went in and hurried through changing. I was just leaving the apartment when I saw Stephanie step out into the hall and shut her own door. I walked down and offered her my arm. "Shall we?"

She turned and looked at me with her beautiful blue eyes and smiled. I felt the jolt all the way to my heart. We made our way to the elevator and down to the garage where Hector and Casey were waiting for us.


	43. Dinner and a Skip

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**Menu was googled for Palace of Asia and any mistakes are mine.**_

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them.**_

Chapter 43: Dinner and a Skip

Stephanie's POV:

Hector and Casey rode with us to the restaurant. Rand chose an Indian restaurant I had never tried before. When we pulled in both Hector and Casey smiled so I figured they had been there before. We were shown to an intimate table for 4 and handed menus. Rand asked if I'd let him choose and not being familiar with the cuisine I agreed. The waitress came over and Rand ordered for all of us. For an appetizer he ordered the Tawi Special which consisted of chicken and lamb grilled to perfection with onions, green peppers, and garam masala; Meat Samosa which was crispy fried turnovers filled with ground chicken; a Bread Basket with Naan, a traditional white bread baked in the Tandoor; Onion Kulcha which was scrumptious unleavened bread stuffed with onions and spices; Tandoori Roti which is round shaped whole wheat bread baked in the Tandoor; and, Puri which is Two deep fried balloon puffed breads; Achar which was hot and spicy Indian pickles; and Paneer Tikka which is cubes of homemade cheese cooked in the Tandoor. For the main course Rand ordered Tandoori Mixed Grill which consisted of a combination of Tandoori Chicken in fresh spices and lemon then barbecued over flaming charcoal in the Tandoor; Sheekh Kabab which was ground lamb marinated with herbs and spices then broiled on skewers over charcoal in the Tandoor; Shrimp Tandoori which is fresh, king sized shrimp gently seasoned and slowly broiled over charcoal in the Tandoor; Boti Kabab which is tender morsels of lamb marinated in special spices, then broiled in the Tandoor; Malai Kabab which is chicken chunks marinated in ginger and garlic and broiled in the Tandoor; and, Chicken Tikka which is tender, boneless pieces of chicken subtly flavored with spices and barbecued on a skewer in the Tandoor. Making sure we had a wide variety of dishes to choose from he also ordered Aloo Baingan which was eggplant and potatoes with onion, tomatoes and chili peppers cooked to perfection; Lamb Rogan Josh which was tender cubes of Lamb marinated in Eastern spices, sautéed with chopped tomatoes in a creamy sauce; and, Vegetable Biryani which was Indian basmati rice cooked and fried with fresh vegetables, cashew nuts and golden raisins. For dessert he ordered 4 Mango Sundaes which was vanilla ice cream served with mango slices and topped with a mango sauce and whipped cream. Although there was a lot of food ordered, the portions were just perfect for the 4 of us to get a nice sampling of the dishes without having so much food we would never get through it. The sundae was the perfect ending to the meal.

As we ate, we discussed our plans for the next day. Hector and Casey had the whole day off so they were going to head to Atlantic City tonight. They agreed to get our room settled for when we arrived the next night, and then on Saturday the ceremonies would take place. When we had finished our meal it was getting late. As we made our way to the exit, I happened to glance at a party in one of the adjoining rooms and saw my arch nemesis Joyce Barnhardt sitting there with someone who looked vaguely familiar. My eyes narrowed and at just that moment the person beside her turned and our eyes met. I was shocked to see _him_ with Joyce, shocked and more than a little hurt. Our eyes held for several long minutes before he turned away. I resumed walking to the exit and pretended everything was fine.

We said goodbye to Casey and Hector back at the Rangeman garage and headed up to my apartment. I think Rand sensed my mood because he sat with me on the sofa and we watched a late night movie. I don't think either one of us were paying attention to the action on the screen. Finally, Rand wrapped his arm around me and kissed my forehead. He asked, "You okay?"

I smiled weakly and replied, "I will be."

He nodded, "So, what about living arrangements?"

I leaned back against him and said, "We could share my apartment, but its not the most secure place in the world."

Rand nodded, "I appreciate Ranger letting me use the apartment here, I suppose we could live there at least for a while."

I had a sudden thought. I knew it was too late to call my grandma tonight, but I could check it out first thing in the morning. Rand sensed my excitement and gave me a puzzled look. I shrugged before saying, "I need to check something out first and then I'll let you know."

Rand nodded then leaned down to kiss my lips. I lifted my arms around his neck and he lifted me in his arms and carried me into the bedroom. Once he had stripped every piece of clothing off me; kissing every inch of my body, I returned the favor. We let the passion rule as we strove to drive the other person wild with desire.

When the alarm went off the next morning I was already up and moving. I slipped into a pair of blue jeans and a striped green t-shirt before pulling on a pair of socks and my sneakers. I brushed my hair and pulled it back in a ponytail before adding makeup. Rand was already up and gone, having gotten up at 4 a.m. to exercise before fixing me breakfast. He was going to check into a couple of job options. I ate the Boston Cream pastries that Rand left for me and then headed down to the garage. I got in the Cayenne and headed to the Bonds office. I had a box of homemade treats Rand had told me to take to Connie and Lula instead of stopping for donuts. I grimaced as I had to park nearly three blocks away from the office. When I entered, Lula came charging at me to take the box out of my hands. She came to a screeching stop when she saw what was inside.

"What's this shit?"

I rolled my eyes, "You won't believe it unless you try one."

Lula took one of the pastries out and took a bite. Her eyes widened in shocked pleasure and she moaned in delight. Connie frowned at her and said, "Well don't hog 'em all. Pass them over so I can get one."

Connie took one and her eyes rolled back in her head with pleasure. Lula stuffed the rest of hers in her mouth and asked, "Where'd you get this shit from? No place 'round here makes things this good."

"Rand made them."

Connie looked at me like I was crazy and said, "Shut up!"

Not to be outdone, Lula exclaimed, "Get outta town!"

I nodded. "He made me a plateful for my own breakfast and told me to bring what was in the box to you two."

Connie and Lula did a swoon and both said, "I'm in love!"

I chuckled and said, "You guys are out of luck. I'm marrying this one."

Both women froze for several seconds and then turned to me and started asking questions at lightning speed. I swore them to secrecy and told them we were heading to Atlantic City later today and we'd be getting married tomorrow. Eventually Lula and I headed out to get some of the easier skips. As we walked the three blocks to the Cayenne, I couldn't help but notice the attention Lula was drawing our way. Today she was dressed in a red halter dress that was a good three sizes too small. She was wearing white, knee high fashion boots with 5" heels and a full Indian headdress. The kind the chiefs used to wear in the old Western movies.

We headed towards Stark Street where our first skip lived. I had a funny feeling when we pulled onto Stark Street. I found a spot to park and we got out of the Cayenne and headed towards the jewelry store where my first skip Paulie Moon worked. The look on Paulie's face when we walked in told me something was up. I bit my lip but decided I wasn't taking any chances since I was leaving to get married later in the day. I pressed the panic button I always carried with me. I knew help was on the way, and as five men stepped out from the back room, I prayed they got here in time.

Rand's POV:

I had just stepped onto the 5th floor with Casey when I saw Ranger come storming out of his office. I'd never seen the look on his face before but something told me someone was in for some bad shit. Tank was there in seconds and put a hand on his shoulder. Ranger seemed to settle some but the look on his face didn't alter. Tank demanded, "Report!"

Lester, Cal, Bobby, Vince, and Hal were all slipping into Kevlar and making sure their utility belts were fully loaded. Lester replied, "Beautiful's panic button went off. Her locations is Jewels R Us on Stark Street."

Ranger started moving and even though Tank's hand tightened on his shoulder, Ranger brushed it off as if it were nothing. I followed close on his heels knowing if Stephanie were in trouble I planned to be there to help her out. I managed to slip into the Turbo before Ranger rocketed out of the garage. We made it to stark in less than 5 minutes and Ranger was out and walking into the jewelry store. I was right behind him and what I saw when we entered the store was the most frightening sight I have seen in my lifetime. I saw the other black SUV's coming to a screeching halt out of the corner of my eyes and in no time the other men in black were moving into place around the building. I just hoped we could get her out of this alive.

_A tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven used in cooking and baking in Southern, Central and Western Asia. The heat for a tandoor was traditionally generated by a charcoal or wood fire, burning within the tandoor itself. Thus exposing the food to live-fire, radiant heat cooking, and hot-air, convection cooking, and smoking by the fat and food juices that drip on the charcoal. Temperatures in a tandoor can approach 480 degrees Celsius (or 900 degrees F), and its common for tandoor ovens to remain lit for long periods to maintain high cooking temperature. _**(googled and copied from ****Wikipedia)**


	44. A Rescue, Two Weddings and a Death

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them.**_

Chapter 44: A Rescue, Two Weddings and a Death

Stephanie's POV:

I glanced at Lula to see how she was taking the situation and noticed her eyes were glazed over like she was in a trance. I wasn't sure if it was the sheer size of the 5 guys or the fact they were all holding guns pointed directly at us. Paulie Moon was smiling smugly as he sauntered over in front of me. I refused to move, not wanting him to know just how scared I might be. He flicked his finger at my cheek and I narrowed my eyes at the sting. He turned to the guys behind him and said, "Alright boys, you can have some fun with these bitches. Don't care what you do with them afterwards. Guess I won't be having no more worries form these two."

Moon turned and walked to the back off the building. The 5 hulks in front of us started grinning and closing in on us. I glanced at my watch and noticed it had only been a couple minutes since I'd pressed the alarm. I was trying to feel around in my purse to find a means of distraction when one of the guys grabbed Lula's arm. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she crashed to the floor. I screamed, "What did you do to her?"

The man in front of me was looking real nervous, "I didn't do nothin' to the bitch just touch her arm and she keeled over."

I was bent over Lula and she opened one eye and winked at me. I looked up and told them, "You've done it now. She's in a psychic trance."

One of the others asked, "What's that shit mean?"

My eyes widened, "You mean you've never heard of Madam Lula?"

They all shook their heads. I shook my head and said, "You poor suckers. When she comes too there will be enough psychic energy to fry you all."

I could see them hesitating, then they stepped back and talked in a whisper so we couldn't hear. I could see the resignation on their faces and knew they had decided to forget their fun and just kill us outright. I could feel my gun in my hand and I whispered to Lula to have hers ready as well. She blinked so I would know she understood. The guys had their guns out and pointed in our direction ready to fire when the front door opened and Ranger and Rand stepped in. I was momentarily surprised at the look on Ranger's face. He looked fiercer than I'd ever seen him before. The smell of urine told me I wasn't the only one affected by his look.

Paulie Moon came running in from the back and stopped dead. The look on his face was comical. "Ranger! What are you doing_ here_?"

Ranger's expression turned mocking. "I already spread word that Ms. Plum was under my protection."

Moon was getting dagger looks from his friends. Paulie smirked, "Yeah, but that was before she hooked up with another dude. Surely you're not going to protect someone else's bitch."

Ranger's face and tone took on an even deadlier menace, "She's not a bitch. She's my friend, and that will never change."

Paulie looked as if he'd swallowed something that was choking him. He went to open his mouth and I saw one of the guys in the back dart nervous eyes around and move his gun up as if to take aim. I fired off a shot as warning and hit him in the shoulder. I bit my lip thinking I should really practice more. I had been aiming at the wall behind him so no one would get hit.

They all raised their hands very quickly and the man I'd hit said, "Shit Paulie, you told us she didn't carry a gun!"

Paulie gave me a narrow eyed look, "Last I knew she didn't carry."

I smiled, "I've turned over a new leaf. I always carry now."

At that moment the rest of the Merry Men came in and got the guns. Ranger's eyes never left the men in front of him as he said, "Give Tank your paperwork Babe and we'll take him in for you."

I went to open my mouth but something about the way Ranger was looking at the 6 guys in front of us told me not to. I turned to Rand wondering if he was coming with us or staying with the guys. He gave me a reassuring look and said, "I'll see you later Sweetness."

I helped Lula up and we headed for the door. I couldn't help looking back one more time at Rand and Ranger. Rand winked at me and said, "Don't worry Sweetness. We'll both be okay."

I nodded and Lula and I headed to the Cayenne parked a few doors down.

Ranger's POV:

When I walked in the door and saw those men taking aim at Stephanie, I felt the uncontrollable rage taking over. It was all I could do to wait for her to leave the building before I moved in. It was over in seconds but I knew the message this would send to anyone else looking to harm Stephanie would be something they would never forget. I had told them she was mine. I also knew when she started going around with another guy that some idiots would take that as a green light that they could mess with her. Now they would know better for all time. I was glad Rand stayed by my side. I played the part that we were good friends and I knew Rand's skills would go a long way towards teaching these guys if I wasn't around he was more than able to handle her safety.

When we got done with them they were in a world of hurt. I knelt down by Moon and spoke in a deadly soft voice, "I thought about leaving one of you alive. I've been debating on which one of you it will be. But just so you won't have to wonder, by targeting Stephanie you signed your own death warrant."

Moon's eyes widened in fear, "But I can be a better message alive. I swear I will tell everyone not to mess with you or the…"

I released his neck and stood. My eyes scanned the other 5 barely alive men and I stepped up to another one. Rand placed a hand on my arm and asked in a voice no one else could hear, "Are you sure you want to kill the others."

His eyes locked with mine and I felt the beast inside me roar. It was difficult to control him but I managed. My voice was equally soft as I said, "Go to Stephanie. Go to Atlantic City and marry her."

Our eyes held for several long minutes. Rand's eyes narrowed, "You can't kill them all Ranger. It would kill her to think of the cost to your soul because of her."

I smiled. Part of me didn't care. This is what they made me. But there was still a part that fought against causing Stephanie any pain. I struggled. I could see by Rand's expression that he was aware of my struggle. He took hold of my arm and nodded. He led me in the direction of the door and didn't stop until I was on the other side. He turned back to the others and said, "The next time you come after my woman I won't stop him from ending your lives. Heed our warning."

We headed towards the Turbo and Rand got me in the passenger seat before going around to the driver's side and holding his hand out for the keys. He drove us back to Rangeman and we headed up in the elevator stopping on the floor for Bobby's office. Rand made sure I was in Bobby's hands before he left to meet Stephanie.

Stephanie's POV:

I left Lula at the Bonds office and headed for the apartment I was using at Rangeman. I took a shower, shaved, and then shampooed my hair. Once I was dried I slipped into a pair of navy blue slack and matching halter top. I slipped into a pair of sandals and then added gel to my hair and worked on taming the mane on my head. I was just finishing up with the makeup when there was a knock on my door. I opened the door and smiled as I saw Rand standing there. I went into his arms and laid my head on his shoulder. He held me for several long moments before asking if I was ready. I nodded and Rand grabbed my suitcase and we headed down to the garage.

In no time we were on the way to Atlantic City. Bobby had drawn blood from all of us and we had applied for the license earlier in the week. I made sure Rand had the licenses before we left town. Casey had let us know they had rooms for us at the Wyndham Skyline Tower. They got the honeymoon suite for us and they had taken another suite of rooms. All the arrangements had been made at One Atlantic for the weddings. We would get a good night's rest after eating a meal tonight and then tomorrow Casey and Hector would be married at 2 in the afternoon and Rand and I were scheduled to be married at 8 in the evening. We would have a late lunch after Hector and Casey were married and then wait till after Rand and I were married to eat our evening meal.

I had chosen one of the dresses I had found in Seattle as my wedding dress. Although I was slightly nervous I was looking forward to the vows Rand and I would say to each other. When we pulled up to the hotel, Casey and Hector were there waiting for us. Rand handed the keys to the valet and we headed up to our suite. We got our things settled and then the four of us went for a meal and then we walked along the Boardwalk and talked long into the night. When we headed to our rooms we were all ready for a good night's sleep.

The next morning Rand woke me with passionate kisses. He had ordered breakfast to be brought up and we had fun feeding each other. When it was time for us to get ready, I took a quick shower and washed my hair to make it easier to tame with the gel I had brought with. I dressed in the blue dress I had bought the first time I had gone shopping with the guys when we were in Seattle. Rand's eyes darkened in desire when he got his first glimpse of me in the dress. We made our way down to Casey and Hector's room and I was stunned as I got my first look at them in their wedding outfits. Casey drove us to One Atlantic and I have to admit it was a very romantic wedding. Tears burned the backs of my eyes as I watched the guys exchange vows. When the minister pronounced them married, the kiss those two exchanged was so hot I thought we'd have to hose them down to put out the fire.

Hector led us into a fancy side room where there was a table set up for the four of us. He and Casey had arranged for lunch to be served to us as we sat watching the view. We were actually over the water and it was so calm and peaceful; such a beautiful place. Since we wouldn't have much time for traveling , Hector and Casey had arranged for a meal to be served to us here. They had selected a large assortments of Hors D' Oeuvres to be served with each of us getting one of each to sample, as well as a main meal and dessert. The waiter brought the first tray of four and set them down as he took our drink orders and went to get our glasses of water.

The first thing we tried was a Fish Taco jerked with lime cilantro cream in a wonton tortilla shell. When the waiter came back with our waters, he also brought us a tray of scallops wrapped in bacon. We were in no hurry for the meal to be over and so we sat and talked, watched the view and ate a leisurely lunch. Over the course of three hours the waiter made several trips to our table. We enjoyed tasting Shrimp in a blanket wrapped with puff dough and finished with champagne mustard sauce; House smoked Salmon wrapped around asparagus tips and tarragon sauce; Grilled Tuna with chiles and lime zest, cilantro and red pepper salsa; Lobster Vietnamese rolls with ginger and red hot chile dipping sauce; skewered grilled Chicken breast with aged Provolone and Balsamico; Wild Mushroom stuffed filet carpaccio and rosemary oil; traditional pigs in blankets with mustard dipping sauce; mustard crusted "Corned Duck Special" with red cabbage slaw and Russian dressing relish served on top of an "everything" bagel chip; Lollipop Lamb Chops with mustard sauce; "Mac and Cheese" miniature parmesan cups with creamy orzo; and "Mini Elvis" crispy banana, peanut butter and strawberry jam on brioche toast. Our main course was seared Tenderloin of Beef with glace de viande, fresh horseradish with mini brioche rolls and seasonal vegetables. For dessert we were served Tiramisu. I pouted a little that there was no wedding cake. Rand threw his head back and promised to get me a piece of cake after our wedding. I grinned and said by then I might actually have room for it.

We headed to a room Hector had booked upstairs so I would be able to get ready for my wedding. The three of them sat in the sitting room while I changed. I had brought an antique Ivory, sleeveless silk formal with a slit up the side, exposing my left leg. I slipped into the matching white 5" FMP's and slid a garter up onto the thigh of my left leg. I only had to do a minor touch up to my hair and makeup and then I was ready. When I walked out into the sitting room the guys stood and stared at me.

Rand stepped forward and took my hand in his saying, "You are so beautiful."

I blushed and the guys laughed. We headed back down to the chapel so that this time Rand and I could exchange vows. Tears once again burned the backs of my eyes as I fought to hold them back as Rand and I exchanged vows. When the minister said we could kiss, Rand lowered his mouth to mine and for several long moments I was aware only of him. We posed for pictures and then once again found ourselves seated in the dining area. This time the waiter came to the table carrying a small wedding cake. We each had a slice and I smiled as Rand placed the largest piece on my plate. We ate cake and drank coffee until the cake was all gone and then we headed back to our hotel. When the door closed behind us and we were in our suite, Rand lifted me and carried me to the bedroom where he slowly removed my clothes as he kissed every inch of my body. We loved each other all night long as well as all the next day. We didn't surface until 30 minutes before check out time the morning after our day long lovefest. We quickly dressed and after checking out we headed back to Trenton. As we got underway, I caught a glimpse of Hector driving the car behind us and turned around and sent him a finger wave. I looked down at my left hand and grinned. I was no longer Stephanie Plum, Bombshell Bounty Hunter. I was now Mrs. Thorton Connor Rand, or Stephanie Rand. I was thrilled to be starting a future with Rand, and loved that now Casey and Hector were both my brothers.

I had just settled back in my seat and was relaxing when my phone rang. I was in such a great mood I didn't even think to check who was calling me before I answered. I lifted my phone to my ear and said, "Hello?"

"STEPHANIE MICHELLE PLUM! You better not have snuck off and gotten married! I have been looking forward to planning your wedding since you divorced that moron the Dick. Now I hear from a friend of a friend of a friend that you snuck off to Atlantic City to get married leaving your family in the dark! You better be here by 6 p.m. tonight because you have a lot of explaining to do young lady if you ever want another dessert in this house again." The phone crashed down before I could say another word.

I looked at Rand and gave him a weak smile, "Welcome home honey."

He threw his head back and laughed.


	45. Dinner and The Future

**Disclaimer: If you recognize the character as a J.E. character, they are hers. The original characters are mine and I take full credit for them. They are part of my imagination.**

_Spoiler Alert: I could use anything from the 18 books that are out. _

_**Special thanks to **__**Deanna - AKA RampsAngl**__ for helping me to remember my two trips to Seattle and tweaking my facts so they are more accurate. I appreciate all the assistance and suggestions you gave me on these chapters that take place in Seattle._

_**I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed. I try to respond to every review, but there have been some guest reviews as well as those who have PMing turned off. I want to let you know that I read all the reviews and appreciate all of them.**_

Chapter 45: Dinner and The Future

Stephanie's POV:

When we got back to Rangeman, Hal came out of the stairwell door and told us we all had to go up to 5 in the elevator. I suspected the guys had set up something to celebrate with us but when the doors opened on the 5th floor, I was stunned. Ella and all the guys were standing there and the moment the doors opened, they all started clapping. The four of us accepted everyone's well wishes and had a great celebration. They had a lot of questions about our future plans and everything. Some questions we hadn't worked out the answers to yet. We stayed and partied till about 4:30 and then I told everyone I had a command performance at my parent's. As the guys broke up they patted Rand on the back and commiserated with him. My eyes narrowed and my hands went to my hips. What the heck? I was the one that was going to get raked over the coals here.

We finally said our last goodbye and headed down to get ready. I had just finished putting on my last coat of mascara when Rand called out asking if I was ready. I went through to where he was standing at the kitchen counter. My eyes lit as I saw the pineapple upside down cake on the counter. Rand grinned at me and said, "I have you covered in case your mom makes good on her threat of no more desserts."

I smiled and reached up to wrap my arms around his neck and kissed him. He moaned and pulled back, "I'd love to stay here and finish this Sweetness, but its 15 minutes to 6."

I sighed and leaned my forehead against his chest. "We have to go. Its going to be hard enough without having to listen to why its my fault the roast is dried out."

Rand grinned at me and said, "I'll take the blame." and he gave me another quick kiss.

Rand's arm was around my waist as we made our way down to the garage. He helped me into the passenger seat of the Cayenne before heading around and climbing behind the wheel. We made it to my parent's with 3 minutes to spare. I breathed a sigh of relief when I noticed Val and her brood weren't there. I knew it was going to be hard enough without the added tension of the Kloughn family. I noticed mom and grandma were standing on the front porch as we pulled up. Rand came around and helped me out. He had his arm around me once again as we made our way to the house. My mom's lips were pressed tightly together as she looked me up and down, then her eyes narrowed as she drilled me with a look. I took a deep sigh and straightened up, giving her back look for look. I refused to apologize for having the wedding I wanted. Mom finally tossed her head and turned to head back into the house.

Grandma Mazur grinned at me and said, "Way to go Steph. Don't you let her make you feel guilty. She had her run of things with the Dick. This one's for you."

I smiled weakly, "How bad was it?"

Grandma pursed her lips, "Kind of a cross between the garage and Tasty Pastry incidents."

I rolled my eyes. We were in for a long night. Rand and I followed grandma in and mom called everyone to the table. To my surprise my dad smiled and held out his hand to Rand. Rand shook dad's hand and was told, "Welcome to the loony bin son."

I smiled, grandma chuckled and mom scolded. We sat down and I gave Rand the place of honor beside my dad. Mom set the lasagna in front of my dad and he dug in before passing the pan around the table. We also had garlic bread to go along with the meal. The lasagna was good and I made sure to compliment my mother on it as well as the garlic bread. I wasn't paying attention to what I was saying so when my mother froze with her fork halfway to her mouth I gave her a puzzled frown. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Rand was shaking with silent laughter.

My eyes widened and I asked, "What?"

My mom lifted her head and sniffed, "I made the lasagna and bread the same way I always do. I'd like to know what's so different about it this time."

I frowned, "Its good ma. I told you that."

Grandma Mazur was grinning ear to ear and Rand was still silently laughing. My dad was looking at my mom as he ate with a raised eyebrow. Mom set her fork down and said, "Usually you rant about how wonderful my lasagna is and how no one makes it better. Are you telling me you've had better lasagna?"

_Oh Shit! _I couldn't lie to her because if she ever came over and Rand made lasagna she'd know the truth. I bit my lip and gave a sigh before plunging in with both feet. "Actually mom, Rand has been cooking for me and he made the most awesome lasagna the other night. Once we find a place of our own, we'll have to invite all of you over for dinner."

My dad put down his fork, "Place of your own?"

I smiled, "Don't worry daddy, we still have my apartment and an apartment at Rangeman for now. Its just I've been thinking about our own place."

I turned to grandma and watched as her eyes lit up. She jumped up and ran out of the room, coming back a few seconds later with a blueprint in her hands. "I got just the thing!"

Mom frowned, "Isn't that the blueprint for the land you and dad planned building on one day?"

"It sure is, but as that can't happen now, I'd like to give it to you and Rand Stephanie. I have something else I can give Val to make things even Helen so don't even start. You and Frank are happy here and you can't convince me you'd want to build on the land."

Grandma handed the blueprint to Rand. He opened it up and his eyes lit with excitement. He turned to me and I grinned. "I was hoping grandma would let us build there. I think you could design us a beautiful house there."

My mom frowned, "I thought you worked for the FBI."

Rand nodded, "I did, but I resigned so I could stay in Trenton with Stephanie. The FBI wanted me to head the Seattle office and wouldn't agree to let me transfer here. I couldn't take Stephanie away from her family and friends. I have enough money to support us for a lifetime so I don't want you to worry about that. I have time to decide which option I want to pursue."

My dad nodded, "You won't be moving in with me then?"

Rand grinned, "No sir. But since Stephanie is giving up her apartment eventually, I thought we might offer it to Mrs. Mazur for her use."

My dad looked at Rand like he was his new hero. Grandma even had an excited twinkle in her eyes. After all, my building was mostly full of seniors. My mom however looked freaked out. She started to say something but my dad cut her off, "Why that's an excellent idea. Edna would have lots of company in that building."

My mom tossed her head back and went out in the kitchen with the excuse she had to get the dessert. What she brought in was nowhere near what dessert should be. My dad was of the same opinion, "What's this shit Helen? Where's the cake you made earlier today?"

Mom looked at me and smirked, "I'm saving that for tomorrow when Val and her family are over."

My dad shook his head and stood to make his way into the kitchen. He came back in with the cake and a knife. He set the cake in front of me and handing me the knife he kissed my cheek and said, "Congratulations Pumpkin. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks daddy."

I cut the cake and gave my dad the first piece. We finished the meal and Rand and I headed out. My dad called to me as we stepped down the porch stairs. I went back and he hugged me again telling me how proud he was of me. He asked if I had made my piece with the fact that Ranger and I couldn't be together. I think he wanted to make for sure that Rand wasn't a rebound thing. I told him that I accepted Ranger's word that we could never have that kind of relationship. I also told him it helped me a lot to go to Seattle and spend time there with Hector. I assured my dad that my feelings for Rand were real and I loved him with my whole heart. Ranger would always be my friend, but that was all. Even if he changed his mind, I would never go back because I had found what I had been searching for my whole life. My dad handed me the list he had given me once before when he offered me the trip to Seattle. I frowned. He smiled and said for me to look at it with fresh eyes.

As we got in the Cayenne, Rand said, "That went better than I was expecting."

"Yes. My dad stood up for us."

Rand nodded. "That he did."

"He wanted to know if I was really over Ranger. I told him that if Ranger did change his mind it wouldn't matter. I've found what I've been searching for my whole life in you Rand. I love you with all my heart. Ranger is my friend and always will be, but here can be nothing more there though."

Rand leaned over and kissed me and then we headed back to Rangeman. As we got out of the Cayenne and were headed to the elevator, Ranger came out of the stairwell and strode towards the Turbo. Tank was right behind him and placed a restraining hand on his shoulder. It didn't even stop Ranger. I wasn't sure why Tank wanted to stop Ranger but I knew it was important. I looked up at Rand and he nodded. I walked over and stopped in front of Ranger.

For a minute I didn't think Ranger was going to stop. There was a look on his face, like the one he wore when he was facing the five guys Moon had sicked on Lula and me. I put my hand on his arm and asked, "Where you headed Batman?"

For several seconds I wondered if he were going to answer me. Tank seemed to be extremely nervous and had positioned himself close to me as if he were ready to protect me with his life. Finally Ranger blinked and he gave me a half smile, "I'm just going for a drive Babe. Tank is going with." He turned to Tank and gave a barely noticeable nod, "Right Tank?"

Tank smiled but it didn't reach his eyes, "Sure thing Rangeman."

Ranger turned back to me, "Looks like you survived dinner with the parents."

I nodded, "My dad took our side."

He threw his head back and laughed. "Good for him. I'll see you later Babe. Take care of yourself."

I felt incredibly sad all at once, "Don't get shot Batman."

"Don't go crazy Babe."

Rand and I went on to the elevator and rode up to the 4th floor. Once we were in the apartment, Rand took me in his arms and whispered, "Its okay Sweetness."

"Why do I have this overwhelming sense that something's wrong?"

"You're incredibly intuitive."

We sat on the sofa and Rand held me for a long time. Finally, for some reason I took a look at the paper my dad gave me. I noticed the unusual way he had written down the sights he thought might interest me. I had a sudden thought and picked up a pen from the coffee table and wrote down the first letter of each word. I frowned wondering about what I had written. When Rand suggested we head for bed I agreed. I put the paper in my purse and thought no more about it till the next day when I was at my desk on 5. I took out the paper and typed in the letters into a search program. What came up on the screen stunned me. I printed out the information and carefully read through all the research.

When I finished reading the last paper I grabbed a folder and placed the research data in the folder. I lifted a hand and wiped the tears from my face. What a tragic waste. I bit my lip to keep the sobs from escaping and stuffed the folder into my purse. By the time I reached the apartment I was more in control of my emotions. The minute I walked through the door Rand took one look at me and wrapped me in his arms. "You know don't you?"

I nodded.

_Ten years later:_

Stephanie's POV:

I was putting the finishing touches on my makeup when the doorbell rang. I hurried to answer it and on seeing Ranger standing in the doorway I threw my arms around him and asked, "How are you doing Batman?"

He smiled, "Babe."

I grinned, "Don't Babe me. When did you get back?"

Ranger shrugged, "I drove here from the airport. How are you doing?"

I rolled my eyes, "I'm doing fine. Now answer my question."

He chuckled, "I'm doing good Babe. Everything is still under control."

I looked at him closely and was relieved he did look well. I had finally shocked Ranger that day 10 years ago when I walked into his office and tossed the folder onto his desk. I looked him in the eyes and told him there was new research out where doctors were having success with controlling the rages brought on by the condition CANORS. (Chemically Altered Nerve Oriented Rage Syndrome) He'd looked into my eyes and asked me how I found out. I told him my dad had given me a clue. We talked for a couple of hours and Ranger admitted he'd been given a chemical compound while he was held prisoner in a Columbia. Although the drug had some uncomfortable side-affects he would have been fine if he hadn't also been sprayed with a chemically altered form of Agent Orange two years later. It wasn't until after one of his missions a few months after he met me that he learned of the effect of both chemicals being in his system. I told him I would have understood. He nodded and said he knew I would stick by him if I was given a choice. Then we talked about Rand and I admitted I loved Rand more than I ever thought I was capable of loving anyone. When I left his office that day I'd gotten a promise from him that he would speak to the doctor who had been doing the research. The doctor had been thrilled to include Ranger in a treatment program. Although nothing could change the fact that Ranger would always have CANORS, over the past 10 years the doctor had found a way to minimalize the symptoms so Ranger was able to lead a normal life. As a matter of fact, he had become Godfather to all three of mine and Rand's children.

I stepped back so Ranger could come in and have a seat. No sooner had he entered when the children came running in from outside; seven year old Travis, five year old J.C. short for Jason Carlos, and three year old Anna. Travis and J.C. were spitting images of their father and Uncle Casey. Looking at three year old Anna was like looking at myself at that age. Although Ranger treated all the children equally, when he looked at Anna there was a softness there that I'd only seen when he looked at me. Ranger grinned at the children and lifted Anna in his arms. We walked into the den and sat down.

Ranger smiled softly down on Anna as she curled up and went to sleep in his arms. I rolled my eyes and said, "She's been fighting a nap all afternoon and now that the party is getting ready to start she's out like a light."

I went to stand to take her to her room but Ranger shook his head. "She's fine Babe. Let her sleep. I don't mind."

I sat back down and smiled. At that moment I heard the garage door go up and knew that Rand was home. The boys raced out to greet their dad and I watched my daughter sleeping in Ranger's arms. A few moments later Rand came into the den and leaned over to kiss my lips. He greeted Ranger and smiled at Anna in her Godfather's arms. "Casey and Hector will be here any minute with their crew."

I nodded and said, "You should have enough time to shower and change if you hurry."

Rand gave me another kiss and asked Ranger, "Are the guys coming?"

Ranger nodded, "They'll be here."

Rand nodded and then headed to our bedroom so he could get ready. Ranger and I sat in companionable silence for several moments until the doorbell rang. Travis went running past yelling, "I got it!"

Anna jolted but Ranger settled her back down with practiced ease. A few moments later Lula came walking into the den. She grinned at Ranger holding Anna and spoke in an exaggerated whisper, "Don't tell me I got here early. Here I was hoping to make an entrance."

I grinned at the balloon hat Lula was wearing. Her hair had grown back to a wearable length within a year, but Lula had continued with her hat fashion. She had a hat with long, skinny balloons attached to the surface. She wore a black mini skirt and a peach top that barely covered what it needed to. Although Lula had never met the man of her dreams, she did occasionally go out with Tank. I told Lula it was better this way because everyone who came would get their own personal entrance form her so to speak. She thought about it and then grinned.

Rand joined us a few minutes later and then the rest of the guests started trickling in. Tank, Lester, Bobby, Cal, Hal, Vince, Manny, Junior, Binkie, and Woody all arrived in three vehicles. Ram, Heather and their two children came shortly after the guys got there. Ram and Heather had two sons, Derek who was 9 and Chase who was 7. The boys were the perfect blend of both their parents.

Of course the last ones to arrive were the reason we were having this party. Casey and Hector pulled up and Travis shouted, "They're here!"

I checked to make sure Ranger was okay with Anna and then headed for the door to great my two brothers. Casey had matured well in the past 10 years. He had worked for Ranger four years, until Rand graduated with his architect's license. Then he had started doing what he loved doing, which until then he had just done in his spare time. Casey was a wonderful painter. In the 6 years since he'd gone into it full time he had made quite a name for himself. Not only that but 5 years ago Hector and Casey had hired a surrogate mother to have Casey's baby. The woman was a warm and generous woman who loved being pregnant but had no desire to raise a child. She carried Casey's son and when she gave birth she had no problem with signing the baby over to Casey. She was so thrilled with the arrangement and how it had worked out, that when Casey approached her a year ago to carry Hector's child she readily agreed. Two weeks ago she had given birth to Hector's daughter and again signed over all her rights.

I smiled as the group entered the house. Casey was carrying the infant car seat that held Stephanie Rose and Hector held 5 year old Caleb in his arms. I went forward and peeked at the sleeping infant and then stepped close to Hector for a hug. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close. He smiled and said, "You bring me happiness Angel. Because of you I am happy."

I grinned, "Who would have thought that when we went to Seattle we would be bringing back the future."

We looked around at the people surrounding us. We remembered all the Heartbreak of the past. Through all that had gone on Before the Dawn of a new life where we found love and happiness. We had made that trip together and I would be forever grateful to Ranger for releasing me so that I could find the love I needed. I felt the tingling and turned to see Rand step up behind me. He bent and kissed my lips. When we pulled back a sleepy voice was calling "Mommy!" I looked towards the voice and saw my little girl held high in Ranger's arms. She was grinning at him and had her arms wrapped around his neck. She giggled and said, "Batman makes me fly mommy."

My eyes turned to Ranger and I felt the tears burn the backs of my eyes as I smiled into his face and said, "I know Baby. Batman is good at helping people fly."

Stephanie and Rand with Travis, J.C. and Anna; Hector and Casey with Caleb and Stephanie Rose; all the Merry Men along with Heather, Derek and Chase; Lula, and especially Ranger lived happily ever after. Joyce Barnhardt was charged as an accomplice when the mayor of Trenton was arrested for corruption. (That's who she was dining with. Hope you don't mind it only being a footnote.)

THE END

_Thank you all for taking a chance on this story even though it didn't have Ranger and Stephanie in a HEA. I understand exactly what you are saying when you say it makes you sad when they aren't together. I am the same way. This story idea came to me through a discussion on BCRU and I decided to give the story its voice. Although some chapters were harder than others (the first and this last one) I enjoyed writing the story. For those of you who offered constructive criticism I appreciate it. I loved all your reviews and you can thank Barb4psu for the information on what was wrong with Ranger. She showed ingenuity that demanded to be rewarded. CANORS is of course not a real illness. Thank you all for coming along for the ride and for all the great reviews. Thank you again to all of you that helped me with this wonderful story. Until the next ride, take care. _


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